Give Myself Away
by SailorChibi
Summary: We all know the story. When Yuugi solved the puzzle, Yami appeared before him. Except in this case, "Yami" happens to be Atemu Tenno, the most popular boy at Domino, and Yuugi wants nothing to do with his possessive supposed "saviour". YamixHikari, S/J complete!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of the characters/items you recognize from it.  
**A/N:** This is my first YGO story, even though YY/Y has been my OTP for years now. It is AU (obviously) and one small change has been made: Mariku existed in Ancient Egypt, and he was the owner of the Rod. Aside from that, please let me know what you think!

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Over three thousand years ago, there lived a young Pharaoh, who ascended to the throne when his father was brutally murdered by his uncle. Although his uncle had hoped to kill the young Pharaoh and take his place, he was ultimately thwarted, and he eventually fled the palace and left those behind in peace. However, the battle to win against his uncle was long and difficult and took many resources, and so when his uncle was finally defeated, the young Pharaoh was left with a struggling country that was deeply unsure of his reign.

The Pharaoh was uncertain of what to do to win the confidence of his people, for he _was_ young and had not expected to become Pharaoh so quickly; he had much to learn, and little time to do it in. He had hoped that the sacred Millennium Puzzle would aid him in his reign, but there was a secret concerning the puzzle that only those closest to the Pharaoh were aware of: the puzzle would not respond to him. Any attempts to use its magic left him empty and unconscious on the floor. That was one of the reasons that the battle against his uncle had dragged on for as long as it had.

One day not long after he had again attempted to use the puzzle, one of the Pharaoh's closest friends, a Priestess, came to visit him. Like the Pharaoh, she also possessed a Millennium Item, the Millennium Tauk. Unlike the Pharaoh, the Priestess had no problems with using her Item, which allowed her to receive visions of the near past and the future. The Priestess was widely revered and was always taken at her word, and the Pharaoh trusted her deeply and unquestioningly.

"Good evening, my Pharaoh," she spoke, bowing deeply.

"You may rise and enter, Priestess."

Having been bidden to do so, she did, which allowed the guards to take up their positions of protection near the door. Knowing that the two of them would not be distrubed, the Priestess knelt before her Pharaoh and spoke quietly. "My Pharaoh, after many hours of praying, I have received a vision. I believe it is a prophecy of sorts. It concerns three Millennium items – the puzzle, the rod, and the ring."

"Speak freely, Priestess," the Pharaoh urged. "I wish to hear of your vision."

The Priestess sat back on her heels and gazed at her Pharaoh. "The Millennium Tauk has shown me that the bearers of the Millennium Ring and the Millennium Rod possess the same problem that you do, my Pharaoh. All three of you are missing something vital that would allow you to access and use the full powers of your Millennium Items. As you are now, your souls are too dark to be able to handle the power of the Items. You would become corrupted and cruel, and eventually the Realm of Shadows would destroy you." She bowed her head slightly. "Were any of you to force the Items to respond to your summons, it would mean the destruction of the world."

The Pharaoh sat silently for a moment, chilled by the prospect. "Is that all you know?"

"There is more," she confirmed. "According to my vision, many years from now, our souls will be reborn. At that time, the people in possession of these three Millennium Items will be your lights; they will be your balance against the Realm of Shadows and eventual insanity. You will all be able to use your Millennium Items to the full extent with the help of your other halfs. Unfortunately, I sense also that a great evil will be present, and I know that you will need this power, but that is all that I have been shown, my Pharaoh."

"You have done well, Priestess," the Pharaoh said eventually, after some moments of contemplation. "What must be done in the mean time to control the Realm of Shadows?"

"My Millennium Tauk has shown me sacrifice, my Pharaoh," she said to the floor, tears forming in her deep blue eyes. "In order to find your lights, this is the path you must take."

"Then so it shall be done."

And within the cycle of the moon, all had been set into motion. The owners of the Millennium Ring and the Millennium Rod were willing to allow themselves to be included in the sacrifice if it meant that they would one day have full control of their items. The Pharaoh chose his dearest friend, his beloved cousin who would rule firmly but kindly, to take over the throne. Then it was done: three bodies and three souls sacrificed, so that they might one day find their other halfs, their lights, and be whole.

**GMA**

_Domino, Japan_  
_Present Day_

High school had never been Mutou Yuugi's favourite place, but that September afternoon, as he stood in front of Domino Academy and gazed up at the rather imposing building, he realized that he'd never been more tempted to skip in all of his life._ Going_ to school was bad enough. Having to transfer to a new high school in your junior year, where you'd definitely be at the bottom of the pecking order, was just the icing on the tip of the cake. His only saving grace was that it was the first day of school for everyone, and even that wasn't much of a consolation.

Domino normally had three high schools. Domino High (which was the public school located in the middle of town), Domino Academy (an expensive private school on the right side of town), and Mori High (a relatively new public school that had opened on the outskirts of the left side of the town). However, over the summer, a fire had broken out at Domino High and destroyed over half of the school. It would be months, if not years, before the schoolboard had the money to be able to repair all of the damage that had been done. Most of the students had been relocated to Mori High. Those who lived too far away, like Yuugi, had been accepted to Domino Academy.

'_This place looks really prestigious_,' Yuugi thought nervously, glancing around at some of the students who were entering. Even though the students all wore the same uniform, he could tell that most of them came from far greater wealth. Like the girl who was holding an extremely expensive cell phone that he knew for a fact had only been released the day before and cost nearly 40,000 yen. Or the boy who was climbing out of a car that would have cost more than his grandfather's game shop made in a month. He just didn't belong – and those who didn't belong were often targets for those who did.

Just as that thought went through his mind, a hand landed on his shoulder. Yuugi yelped and spun, eyes wide, only to see the startled brown eyes of his best friend staring back at him. He sighed and relaxed. "Ryou, you scared me."

"Sorry, Yuugi," Bakura Ryou apologized softly. "I thought you heard me when I called your name. I didn't realize you were so lost in thought."

"That's okay," Yuugi said with a cheerful smile. "I was just trying to work up the courage to go into the school." He didn't have to say anything more. Both he and Ryou had been targets for bullies in the past. Yuugi was short and small for his age; he was often been mistaken for a child by those who didn't get a good look at him. Ryou was also petite, though not to the extent of Yuugi, and slender, with somewhat feminine features. Both of them had unusual coloring and were fairly quiet, all of which had led to more than a few unpleasant encounters in elementary and middle school.

"It's alright. Malik will be here soon," Ryou said. He glanced at his watch. "You know Malik. Perpetually late. We can wait to go in until he gets here, if you like."

Yuugi smiled at the mention of their friend. Malik Ishtar could be as quiet as he and Ryou, but he also possessed a stubborn streak a mile wide that, combined with a sense of mischievousness that sometimes drove his sister to despair, often caused a lot of trouble. There was only one person who ever got the one-up on Malik, and he certainly wasn't a high school student. Ever since Malik had transferred to Domino High two years past and taken Yuugi and Ryou under his wing, neither of them had suffered a single wound or bruise. Bullies at Domino High knew better than to provoke Malik, who could be downright vicious when he felt one of his friends was being threatened.

All that was about to change. Yuugi had the feeling that the elite, spoiled students at Domino Academy might prove to be more than even Malik could handle, and the prospect had him spooked. There was no doubt in his mind that Malik would fight endlessly to protect his friends, but Yuugi had always held a deep-seated hatred for violence. He often worried that someday a fight was going to go too far, and that Malik would be the one who would pay for it. For that reason, he glanced up at Ryou and forced a smile.

"No, we'll be okay," he answered. "Malik might be a little while and I don't want us to be late on my first day. I know you hate that."

Ryou nodded and the two of them set off for the doors of the school. Yuugi felt a lot better having Ryou at his side as they went through the motions of starting at a new school. Getting their lockers, schedules and maps was a daunting process, but somehow, with one of his best friends, it didn't seem nearly as intimidating as it had when he was standing outside by himself. He was even happier when he discovered that he and Ryou were in the same class.

It wasn't very difficult to find the right room, as the school secretary had given them excellent directions. Class hadn't started yet, so Yuugi and Ryou were able to find a spot and sit down without saying anything to anyone. A few students turned and looked at them curiously, but no one seemed willing to approach them. Yuugi ignored the other students and busied himself with putting his bag on the back of his chair and getting out a pencil and a notebook. He didn't like math very much, a fact that Ryou had always found amusing, considering some of the calculations Yuugi had to do to play certain games. Speaking of which...

"How are you fairing with _it_?" he asked in a low voice, propping his chin on his hand. "You mentioned you were finally making good progress."

"It's hard," Yuugi admitted, knowing instantly what his friend was referring to. His hand gently patted his bag. "When Jii-chan gave it to me a couple of years ago, I figured it would be easy to put together, even though he warned me that no one has done it in three thousand years. And he was right. Still, I like a good challenge." His violet eyes gleamed with excitement. "I'm about a quarter of the way there. I'm going slowly so as not to mess it up."

"That's awesome!" Ryou exclaimed. He truly admired Yuugi's tenacity, because he wasn't sure he would have had the determination to try and solve one puzzle for that long. "Maybe you'll be able to solve it soon. Have you figured out what the symbols on the side mean?"

Yuugi shook his head. "_The light who solves this puzzle will find absolution in the dark_," he quoted and shrugged. "Jii-chan hasn't got a clue, either."

"Hmm..." Closing his eyes, Ryou mulled the riddle over. But he was no closer to an answer than he had been the last time Yuugi had mentioned it. What was the light, and what did absolution in the dark mean? "I don't know what to tell you," he said at last.

"Don't worry about it too much," said Yuugi, shrugging. "Maybe you're not supposed to know what it means unless you can solve the puzzle."

Ryou nodded and leaned back in his chair. "I got a call from my father," he said quietly, finally bringing up the topic that had been bothering him the whole way to school. "He wanted to wish me an early happy birthday and let me know that a package was coming in the mail for me."

"That was kind of him," Yuugi offered after a beat of silence. Ryou's father was one of those touchy subjects that the trio rarely discussed. After the death of Ryou's mother and younger sister when the boy was only eleven, Bakura Osamu had thrown himself into his work as an archaeologist, and as a result, Ryou rarely saw him. He lived alone in an apartment paid for by his father. Yuugi could count on one hand the number of times that Bakura Osamu had visited his son, and he'd known Ryou since they were both about ten years old. The only contact that Ryou ususally had was a phone call once or twice a month, cheques in the mail, and the occasional package.

Their homeroom teacher chose that moment to walk into the room, silencing whatever Ryou had been about to say. She was an older woman who wore her hair pulled back into a bun, and it was easy to tell that she was a strict teacher by the way that the class fell quiet when she opened the door. Her heels clicked on the floor as she strode across the room to her desk, where she set her books down and turned to survey the class. One hand smoothed the pale pink skirt she was wearing as her eyes landed on Ryou and Yuugi.

"Good morning, class."

"Good morning, Miyamoto-sensei," the class recited back.

"I see we have two new students today," Miyamoto said, glancing down at one of the books on her desk. "I assume that you are Mutou Yuugi and Bakura Ryou?"

"Yes ma'am," Ryou answered politely.

Most of the class twisted in their seats, curious to see the new students that many of them hadn't noticed before. Several students gasped, and immediately soft whispers spread like wildfire throughout the group. Yuugi became increasingly uncomfortable at the many shocked expressions and shifted uneasily. He sent a confused glance in Ryou's direction, but his friend looked as bewildered as Yuugi felt. Why were they staring? It was true that both of them looked somewhat unusual, but he didn't think that they looked strange enough to warrant_ that_ level of scrutiny.

"We welcome you to our class, Bakura-san and Mutou-san," Miyamoto said. "If you have any problems following along, please do not hesitate to see me, alright? Now, let's begin with the homework I assigned last night. Sakai-san, Jouda-san, please come up to the board to demonstrate problems one and two from page fifty-five of your textbook."

Yuugi was relieved when most of the students reluctantly turned away in order to follow along. Yet, he was conscious of the fact that many of them kept sneaking glances at he and Ryou, as though they were fascinating spectacles instead of just new students. It was kind of embarrassing, and he knew that Ryou was feeling the same way, especially as the morning dragged on and none of their fellow classmates seemed to lose interest. Math turned to languages, and languages turned to science, and if anything, he and Ryou only seemed to become more interesting with every minute. When Miyamoto finally called for a break in the middle of science and left for the teacher's lounge, the room fairly exploded with whispers.

"Do you see?" one girl said excitedly. "They look just like Tenno-sama and Takahashi-sama!"

"No way," disagreed someone else. "Tenno-sama is_ way_ hotter than that shrimp."

Cheeks flaming, Yuugi bent over his paper and pretended that he so involved in copying down the last of the notes that he wasn't listening. But the loud conversations were impossible to ignore. Whoever Tenno and Takahashi were, their classmates appeared to think that he and Ryou bore a striking resemblance to them – though the general consensus seemed to be that neither of them were as "hot" as the aforementioned students. He made a careful mark on his page, trying to keep his pencil from shaking too much. This was exactly what he didn't want. Attention at school was _always_ a bad thing.

"Yuugi, let's go and see if we can find Malik," suggested Ryou. He was biting his lip and tugging fiercely at a tendril of white hair.

"Sure, why not?" Yuugi agreed. He stood up and automatically picked up his bag. Not only did it hold his precious puzzle, but he wouldn't have dared leave it behind with the amount of curious looks they were getting. Ryou grabbed his bag and followed Yuugi to the door. Both of them were glad to close the door against the prying gazes of the other students.

"My goodness, what was _that_ all about?" Ryou asked, relieved.

"I have no idea. I'm not sure I want to know," Yuugi told him. "Where do you think Malik would be?"

It was a silly question – Malik would be wherever the most trouble was – but at a new school, neither of them knew where that would be. Silently, Ryou pulled out his map and they bent over it, examining the blueprint of the enormous school. After a minute, by mutual agreement, Ryou folded his map and the two of them then headed towards the roof the school. Malik hated being in enclosed spaces, and loved being outdoors. He'd spent hours on the roof of Domino High, even though the area was technically off limits.

"This way." Clambering up the last few steps, Ryou moved out into bright sunlight that stung his eyes. He lifted his hand and shielded his face as he searched for Malik's distinctive golden hair.

"He's not here," Yuugi said finally, a bit disappointed. Unlike at Domino High, the roof seemed to be an acceptable place for students to go. There was a particularly large group of people down at the opposite end, but he didn't see Malik anywhere. "Maybe... he couldn't come today."

Ryou's brown eyes became even more shadowed, and he nodded without speaking. He and Yuugi found a quiet corner, where they both sat down with their backs to the wall. Yuugi pulled out the familiar golden box and withdrew a completed portion of the puzzle. Almost mechanically, his fingers glided over the remaining pieces and began drawing certain ones out, seeking the next special piece that would fit together just so. Ryou watched with interest for a few minutes before he closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall, feeling the stress of the day like a blanket around his shoulders.

When the bell rang to summon them back to class, neither made a move to go in.

**GMA **

Tenno Atemu (known to anyone who didn't want to be punched in the face as Yami) felt a shiver go down his spine. It was strong enough that he jostled the arm of one of his best friends, Takahashi Bakura, who looked at him with a raised eyebrow. Yami responded with a slight frown as he glanced up and around. He and his friends always spent their breaks on the roof, which had resulted in quite a gathering of students once the rest of the school had figured this out. Some of them returned his curious glance with shy smiles. Others scowled or glared. Overall, everything looked the way that it always did, with no indication for his bout of chills.

"What's wrong, Yami-san?" Mazaki Anzu leaned against his leg and gazed up at him. "Are you cold? I could run and get your jacket for you if you like."

"I'm fine," he said shortly, knowing that it was better to cut Anzu off at the pass. This time, he was ready for the chill, and he was able to control the shiver to the point that Anzu didn't seem to notice it.

"If you're sure," Anzu said, clearly disappointed.

"What's wrong?" Yamada Mariku asked, looking up from where he was whipping Bakura's ass at poker. "Is it...?"

Yami nodded, and both Bakura and Mariku went quiet, something that was quite unusual for them. The three of them exchanged serious looks. For the past few months, Yami had been able to sense that someone was_ finally_ making headway on the Millennium Puzzle. He could feel the puzzle calling to him as it was put together piece by piece, and each day that presence seemed to grow a little stronger. This was the first time that the puzzle had had such an effect on him, however, and he suppressed a third shiver. It felt... good.

"I think it's close," he told them.

"If I had the Ring, I could find it," Bakura muttered, glaring down at the cards in his hands.

"Well, you don't," said Mariku, tossing his cards down. He stretched, slowly working the kinks out of his spine. "I think the Rod is close, but I'm not completely sure. The connections are still tenuous at best."

"It will remain that way until you find your light," said Yami with a sigh, reaffirming what all three of them had been told all of their lives. He readjusted his position on the wall, sliding closer to Bakura and out of Anzu's reach. She was a nice girl, but her clinginess got on his nerves.

Mariku pouted. "It's always been just out of reach."

"That's the way it's supposed to be, idiot," Bakura grumbled, gathering the cards together.

Yami rolled his eyes as the two of them descended into an argument. The five of them were the closest of friends, but sometimes they really drove him crazy. He glanced at Seto, watching as the taller boy reached out and wound a possessive arm around the shoulders of one Jounouchi Katsuya. Jealousy welled up inside of him. According to what he had been told, because Seto had found Jou, he didn't need to concern himself with a Millennium Item. As the reincarnation of a powerful mage, his powers were strong enough without the use of an Item as long as he had Jou to fall back on.

"Let's just hope this ends soon," he said finally, ignoring Bakura and Mariku as the former drew forth a knife. He was getting pretty tired of having the weight of the world on his shoulders.

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Please review! This is my first YGO story, so I'd really like to know what you thought.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** I had a super hard time writing this chapter... I'm not quite sure why. I guess it's a matter of not being sure how to get from point A to point B. And also, since I had to update four fanfics this week, I was also experiencing some burn out! Regardless, I wanted to let you all know that I update once a week on Friday. Enjoy!

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Dinner at the Mutou household that night was quiet and subdued. Sugoroku kept sending curious glances in the direction of his grandson, wanting to inquire about his first day at the new school, but Yuugi didn't seem very interested in saying much of anything. He'd been in an odd mood all afternoon, focusing on putting new merchandise out in the shop instead of working the counter like he normally did. Even though Sugoroku had cooked one of his favourite meals, he mostly just pushed his food around so that it would look like he'd eaten more than he had, and gave one word answers to the few questions that his grandfather posed.

"Yuugi, I wanted to let you know that we'll be having a few guests for dinner tomorrow night," Sugoroku said finally, determined to get a response one way or the other. "So I'd like it if you could come straight home from school to clean your bedroom. Arthur Hawkins and his granddaughter are in town, and I've invited them over."

Yuugi's head sank lower and he dropped his fork onto his plate as he tried to control the instinctive groan that wanted to slip out. "I take it you've already asked them over?" he asked, resigned to his fate. Arthur was a very nice man who was good friends with his grandfather, but Rebecca Hawkins was a completely different story. The girl was nothing short of a nightmare. She was only twelve years old, a far cry from Yuugi's seventeen, but that didn't stop her from being completely certain that she and Yuugi were going to be married someday, and she had no qualms about doing whatever it took to make that happen.

"I know Rebecca-chan is a bit of a handful, but she looks forward to seeing you so much, Yuugi," Sugoroku smiled fondly. "You're one of her only friends, you know. But if you want, you can invite Ryou-kun and Malik-kun over."

"They probably won't come, but I'll ask." Yuugi forced a little smile, wondering if he could lie to his friends about just who would be at the dinner. He dreaded the thought of seeing Rebecca again – he'd only just barely escaped being kissed against his will by her last time – but he would do it for his grandfather. "Do you want some help with the dishes, Jii-chan?"

"There's not too much to do. You can go upstairs and do your homework."

"If you're sure." Rising, Yuugi scraped the food on his plate into the garbage. "Actually, we didn't get that much work today, since it was the first day back. I think I'll walk over to Ryou's."

"So late?" Sugoroku narrowed his eyes. "Are you _sure_ your day at school was alright, Yuugi?"

"It was fine, and I just need some air, that's all.." Uncomfortably aware of Sugoroku's sharp eyes on his back, he set his dishes in the sink and then walked into the hallway, reaching for his coat. Truth be told, he would much rather have been upstairs working on the puzzle in the comfort and safety of his own room, but he was well aware of the fact that his grandfather could be merciless when it came to prying information out of him, and he didn't feel like admitting that he and Ryou had both skipped most of their first day of school. "Don't wait up for me, okay, Jii-chan? If I decide to sleep at Ryou's, I'll call you."

"Alright. Be careful!"

"I will. Bye." Yuugi closed the door behind him with a relieved sigh and set off down the sidewalk. He loved his grandfather very much, but there were some things that he didn't feel comfortable sharing with the man, and sometimes getting out of the house was the only way to escape. Ryou wouldn't even be home for another hour or so – every Thursday night, he attended a chef's class at Domino University that went from six until nine, and sometimes he went out for dinner with some of the other students afterwards. It was only a little after eight, so it would be a while yet until he was home. But that was alright; even though Yuugi had initially just wanted out of the house, a walk actually sounded nice.

He pushed his hand into his pocket, curling it around the small box of the puzzle, and looked up at the stars. Even just holding the puzzle was enough to make the stress of the day fall away. His treasure was about halfway completed, which was further than he'd even been able to get before, and he was pretty sure that this time he would actually be successful. Yuugi was excited to think about what it would be like when it was finished. Perhaps they would even be able to find out what the odd riddle on the side meant! Smiling to himself, he swung right, into the park, and stepped off of the familiar path. There were more people out and around than he had expected, and he wanted to find somewhere more private.

Yuugi hadn't gone very far into the bushes before he heard loud voices accompanied by the sound of someone screaming. Curious in spite of the mental voice loudly telling him to keep walking, he stopped and looked in the direction of the playground. Immediately, his violet eyes grew wide and his jaw dropped. He stepped closer, mostly hidden behind a large tree, and watched with fascination. There were five men standing near the swings, and three of them had a surprising resemblance to him, Ryou, and Malik.

The one who looked like Ryou and the one who looked like Malik actually didn't seem to be paying much attention to what was going on; the two of them were lounging by the slide and seemed quite pre-occupied with something in their hands. A third man was seated on a bench on the other end of the playground, too far away for Yuugi to see what he was doing. He appeared to be hunched over whatever was in his lap, and as far as the boy could tell, was completely ignoring what was happening in front of him. The one who resembled Yuugi was standing over the fifth man, who was huddled into a ball on the ground. As he watched, the man looked up and put his hands over his face, trying to shield himself.

"You... you can't do this!" he cried. "No one gets the better of Kuromaki!"

"You are a foolish man," said the man who looked like Yuugi, shaking his head. He was a few inches taller than Yuugi, with lean muscles and tanned skin. Surprisingly, he possessed similar tri-color hair, except that his had more blond in the bangs and the black was tipped in crimson, not violet. His face was angular and hard, with crimson eyes that glittered like cold stones. One of his hands rose, pointing straight down at the man sprawled before him. Something glimmered on his forehead, but even though he strained his eyes until they stung, Yuugi was too far away to see what it was. "You will be punished for your crimes. Until you can see that not everyone exists to be your prey, you will be the one preyed upon. **Penalty Game**!"

Kuromaki arched his back and screamed in agonizing pain. Yuugi clapped a hand to his mouth in an effort to muffle his gasp, but he was too late. The Ryou-look-alike must have heard the sound, because he spun around and gazed directly at the tree. In retrospect, Yuugi might have been better off if he had only remained perfectly still, but his automatic response when it came to anything frightening had always been flight. He took off, fleeing back through the brush towards the main part of the park.

"Hey! Stop that kid!" someone shouted behind him. "Damn it. Stop!"

Running had never been his strong point, and Yuugi was quickly remembering why. His breath came in short, sharp gasps, and his legs began to ache as a stitch grew in his side. He could see his salvation, though: there was a group of teenagers wearing uniforms that he recognized from Domino Middle School lounging around the main path, and if he could only reach them, he knew he would be safe. But it was at that moment that he felt something large hit his knees, and as he went down hard onto the grass, he realized that one of the men had tackled him. His head struck the ground hard and pain exploded down his neck and shoulders. A pained moan escaped his lips, but it went unnoticed in the flurry of footsteps rushing towards them.

"Shit, Bakura, you didn't have to take the poor kid out."

"How the fuck was I supposed to know who he is, Seto? You were supposed to be on the look out, you know, while the Pharaoh did his thing. I realize that looking at pictures of your puppy when you can't be around him for two seconds is fascinating, but if you could join the _real_ world for a minute or two…"

"Knock it off, you two. Bakura, get off him. He's just a kid."

Previous experience told Yuugi to lay as still as possible and keep his breathing calm and slow, like he was unconscious. A lot of the bullies that he had faced in the past grew tired of hurting him when he "passed out"; a victim was only fun while they could respond. He remained limp as someone reached out and rolled him over, biting back the groan that threatened to emerge when his head rolled to the side rather painfully. There was an odd, heavy silence, during which Yuugi got the feeling that he was being stared at, which was finally broken by someone swearing rather violently.

"By Ra, I think we've actually fucking found one! Figures it would be Yami who found his first."

"You think he's really…?"

"It's a possibility." A surprisingly gentle hand smoothed the bangs out of Yuugi's face and tilted his head forward. "He certainly looks like a more innocent, lighter version of me. If it's not him, then I'd say one of the gods is playing an exceptionally cruel trick on us. Seto, what do you think?"

"I agree that it's a possibility, but I would have to do some research to be sure. Yami, can you sense the puzzle?"

"I think it's close, but it's hard to tell with the lingering sense of shadow magic in the air."

"We could always search him to see if he has the puzzle."

"And let you help yourself to whatever else he has of value? Touch him, Bakura, and you'll be receiving a one way trip to the shadow realm."

"Hey! What are you guys doing with that kid? Get away from him!"

"Mind your own damn business, would you?"

"I'm calling the police if you don't leave that kid alone!"

"Good going, Bakura. You sure showed them!"

"Shut up, Mariku."

"Come _on_, Yami," said one of them, interrupting the squabble between the other two. "If it's really him, you know that you'll meet again someday, but for now we have to go. In case you hadn't noticed, there's a very pissed crowd of people heading over here. We can't afford to have any questions asked about us, especially once they find Kuromaki."

The hand on his face stroked his cheek just once, and then vanished. Yuugi pried his eyes open and squinted into the light of the lamps that the city had installed along the trails, but he was unable to make out anything but spots. Who were those men? And what the hell had they been talking about? His head ached, preventing him from thinking straight, and it only grew worse when that noisy crowd of teenagers he'd spotted earlier surrounded him. One of the girls knelt beside him, her eyes wide. She held a cell phone in her hand and seemed ready to dial.

"Are you okay?" she asked urgently. "We saw those guys standing around you and chased them off. Did they hurt you? Should we call someone for help?"

"No, I'm fine," Yuugi said, managing a smile. For once, his innocent, childlike appearance was actually working to his favour, because she appeared to be charmed. No doubt these teens, actually younger than he was judging by their school uniforms, thought that he was an elementary school kid. "I just… tripped, that's all. I don't know who those men were but they were probably just checking to see if I was alright."

"Do you need some help getting home?"

"I don't live too far away. Really, I'm okay. I just hit my head, but it doesn't even hurt." He sat up and then slowly pushed himself to his feet, relieved when his legs – though shaky – held his weight. Pain still throbbed from his head down into his neck and shoulders, but it was nothing he couldn't handle. "See? Thank you for your help, though."

"You're welcome," she said, standing as well. "Take care."

Yuugi nodded to her, concealing a wince when the motion made the pain that much worse, and set off, walking at a pace that was casual but hurried, in the opposite direction of the Kame Game Shop. He was much closer to Ryou's house than his own, and he didn't dare walk home alone in case those men were still hanging around. Ryou had given both he and Malik a key to his home a couple of years ago, and he knew his friend wouldn't mind if Yuugi spent the night.

It only took him about ten minutes to get to Ryou's, but he spent the whole time on high alert. He didn't _think_ that the men were following him, but he'd also faced some extremely determined bullies in the past who had kept tracking him long after he'd thought that they would have given up. Relief swept through him when he came to Ryou's street, and picked up his pace until he was running. The house was dark and silent when he let himself in, and a quick glance at the clock showed him that it was only half past nine. Yuugi made sure to lock the door behind him and closed the curtains, preventing anyone from seeing into the house. How Ryou lived alone in such a large space, he'd never know.

"So much for my walk," he muttered, entering the kitchen. Ryou had always kept his medication in the cabinet above the stove. Yuugi opened the door and grabbed the bottle of aspirin, then popped the top off and shook a couple into his hand. He swallowed them dry, put the bottle back, and wandered upstairs to what was unofficially "his" room.

There were five bedrooms in Ryou's home, which was obviously a place that had been purchased with the intent to have more children, being that it was too large for the family that had once lived there. Two of the rooms were never opened, and for as long as he had been friends with Ryou, Yuugi had never once seen inside of them. One had belonged to Ryou's older sister, Bakura Amane, and the other had belonged to his parents, which Bakura Osamu still occupied on the rare occasions that he visited. According to Ryou, his father had insisted that Amane's room remain untouched in the months following her death, and even now – years later – it remained looking like some kind of memorial to a thirteen-year-old girl who would never come home.

Ryou had decided that, in his father's absence, the other two rooms were his to do with as he pleased, and so, Yuugi and Malik each had a room where they could sleep over whenever they desired. Malik took advantage of it the most, as there were plenty of nights when Ishizu would remain at the museum, where she had a small couch in her office, but sometimes Yuugi liked the fact that he could get away, too. Both of the rooms were decorated simply, as they doubled as guest rooms whenever Osamu returned home, but the beds were comfortable and that was all that mattered.

He used the house phone to put in a quick call to his grandfather, but the line was busy, and he ended up just leaving a message to say that he would be staying at Ryou's for the night. Then he stretched out on the bed and closed his eyes, realizing that the aspirin either hadn't kicked in yet, or wasn't going to be able to do anything about the ache in his neck and shoulders. It took him a long time to find a comfortable position. Eventually, he fell asleep, and a few hours later when Ryou came home, he covered Yuugi with a thin blanket before retiring to bed himself.

**GMA**

The next morning, after a small breakfast and a long conversation with his grandfather, Yuugi and Ryou left the house and began making their way to school. Yuugi was visibly tense and kept glancing around for the men he'd seen the night before, but the only person who approached them was Malik, who had stopped by the Kame Game Shop and ended up taking Yuugi's backpack along. Now that Malik had joined them, Yuugi began telling his friends about his encounter in a low voice, hoping that they would be able to shed some light on it. By the end of his tale, Ryou looked perplexed, while Malik was frowning.

"You say this "Yami" referred to you as his and said that you were a lighter, more innocent version of him? And that he knew about the puzzle?" Ryou repeated thoughtfully. "Did you hear anything else, Yuugi?"

"No." Yuugi shook his head. "I almost wish that those kids hadn't intervened when they did."

"It's a good thing that they did. I've met people like that. They could have really hurt you," said Malik, unconsciously rubbing his right shoulder. Both Yuugi and Ryou shot a worried look at their friend, but Malik pretended that he hadn't seen them. When he was ready to speak about his absence, he would, and not a minute before. "That whole penalty game thing worries me. I really don't like the sound of this, Yuugi. I think you should stay out of the park after dark from now on, especially if you're alone."

"Yeah, I guess," he sighed. "I just… I kind of wish I knew who they were and what they meant. If they know something about the puzzle… I'd love to ask them some questions."

"It's not worth it," Malik told him. "What if they'd done something to you beyond just tackling you to the ground? What if there was no one else around at the time? Ishizu had a copy of the paper this morning, and there was an article about an unidentified guy in the park who was found at like five this morning after he attacked a woman who was out jogging. The police were trying to figure out what was wrong with him. Apparently, he kept screaming about how he was being chased by spiders and could feel them crawling all over his body."

"You don't think that he was the same person?" Ryou's brown eyes widened at the thought. "It sounds more like he had a mental disorder of some kind, and you couldn't do that to someone, could you? Yuugi, you were there. What do you think? Yuugi?"

Yuugi wasn't listening to either of his friends. During their talk, the three of them had reached the school and passed through the gates, and almost immediately, his eyes had landed on someone that made him stop. Malik and Ryou glanced at each other in confusion and then followed Yuugi's gaze to the far end of the schoolyard, where there was a fairly large crowd of people surrounding three people who bore a remarkable resemblance to Ryou, Malik, and Yuugi.

"Oh my…" whispered Ryou, shocked by the sight of the older boy that could have been his brother. He was taller than Ryou, with the same white hair and tanned skin. It was difficult to see any more details, and he didn't dare venture closer. "No wonder our classmates were staring at us yesterday. That must be Tenno and Takahashi, those boys we were being compared to."

"Those are the men I saw yesterday in the park!" Yuugi cried.

"Fuck," Malik muttered, checking out his own taller and more muscled counterpart. This did not bode well. "Come on; let's go in before anyone notices us."

It was too late. Almost as though Malik's remark had been overheard, the boy who looked like Yuugi turned and caught sight of them. He stared openly, causing nearly everyone around them to look in the direction of Yuugi, Malik, and Ryou, freezing the three boys where they stood. At the realization that the boy who looked like him had actually gotten up, however, Malik snapped out of his daze and began quickly hustling Yuugi and Ryou towards the school building, not wanting any kind of confrontation where the two of them might be involved. Just once, he glanced back to see if the three of them were being followed, but the five boys had gone back to their own conversation, and gradually the rest of the students had lost interest as well. Malik hoped that would be the end of it, but somehow, he suspected that their encounters with their doubles had only just begun.

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Please review!


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Alright, I had way too much fun with this chapter. I love torturing Yuugi with Rebecca, she's just awesome. And originally I wasn't going to put in a scene about Malik quite yet, but I had a lot of questions about him, so I figured... why not? It should be pretty obvious what his problem (or at least one of them) is now. Sorry, there's no R/B yet, but that's coming up fairly soon. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter!

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The sun was bright and the day was warm, with just a hint of a breeze. It would have been the perfect way to relax on the school roof during their lunch... except for one thing that he couldn't bring himself to forget about. "Ne, Ryou, do you guys want to come over to dinner tonight?" Yuugi asked with wide eyes. He sat down on the ground in the corner he and Ryou had claimed the day before, trying hard to ignore the fact that Tenno Atemu hadn't stopped staring at him since he'd walked onto the roof. It was extremely unnerving, but he didn't want to admit he even noticed the attention.

Ryou narrowed his brown eyes slightly. After years of friendship, he'd learned to recognize and be concerned when Yuugi was using his innocent voice. "Why?"

"No reason."

"Yuugi..."

Sighing, Yuugi gave in. "Rebecca-san is going to be there."

"What?" Ryou's shout was loud enough to garner the attention of several students around them, including that of the very group Yuugi had been trying to ignore. He blushed furiously at the stares and tried to lower his voice as he spoke. "Yuugi, are you_ crazy_? Why are you letting that little menace back in your house?"

"I haven't got a choice." Yuugi pouted a little and shrugged off the blue coat of his uniform. Ryou took it from him and folded it before placing it on the ground. "Jii-chan invited them without asking me first. He's already said that I have to straight home after school. Please, Ryou, won't you come?"

"Sorry, but no way," said Ryou, lifting his hands to cover his soft white hair protectively. "Last time I was there, Rebecca-san tied me to your bed and tried to color my hair with purple dye. Do you _know_ how difficult it is to get colored dye out of white hair? It was only by sheer luck that Hawkins-san walked in and stopped her."

Yuugi's mouth twitched. "Yeah, I remember. She hit Malik over the head with her teddy bear and almost knocked him out, and then tied me to my desk chair." He shuddered. Rebecca was an attractive girl, certainly, but he had no interest in making out with her, and she had serious problems when it came to taking "no" for an answer. Thank god Professor Hawkins had stumbled onto the scene when he had, though the man had been under the impression that they were playing some weird kind of game. Some game! "I swear, if she comes near me with rope this time, I'm jumping out the window."

Chuckling, Ryou shook his head and smiled apologetically. "You're on your own, Yuugi. If that menace is in town, I'm locking my doors."

"Gee, thanks." Sulking, Yuugi pulled his treasure box from his pocket and dipped his fingers into the golden pieces, knowing that it would make him feel better. He'd spent some time working on it that morning during the break, and as a result, the puzzle was nearly three quarters finished. He wasn't sure whether that fact made him happy or sad. "Jii-chan says I _have_ to be there. He said that Rebecca-san is really looking forward to seeing me."

"You have my deepest sympathies."

"I'm sure." Yuugi leaned back against the wall with a sigh and idily plucked a single gold piece from the box. He began trying to fit it into the chunk he'd already completed, twisting it every which way to see if it would. "Are... _they_ still looking?"

"Yes," Ryou said, taking a quick glance over his shoulder. "They are."

It hadn't been very difficult to get information on the people who looked so much like he and Yuugi. Ryou had asked one of the girls in homeroom that morning, and gotten a rather stalker-ish rundown on all of them. The one who looked like Yuugi was named Tenno Atemu, but everyone knew him as Yami. His own look-a-like went by the name of Takahashi Bakura, a fact which continued to disturb Ryou – how on earth could his last name be the same as that kid's first name? Malik's counterpart was Yamada Mariku. Finally, there was Kaiba Seto (a name that was impossible not to recognize) and his boyfriend, Jounouchi Katsuya, a boy that he and Yuugi had known in middle school but hadn't approached yet. Unfortunately, knowing their names hadn't really done anything, and none of the other students in the school seemed to know much more about them that would actually be useful, not unless they were interested in pure gossip. Neither Ryou nor Yuugi dared to approach the group, and Malik was stuck with one of their teachers, catching up on what he'd missed.

"I'm telling you, Ryou, it was them," Yuugi insisted, absently clicking a piece of the puzzle into place. "I heard them refer to each other by name. There's no way it could be a coincidence. That's impossible."

"I believe you, it just freaks me out," the white-haired boy replied. He shivered, feeling a piercing set of reddish brown eyes on his back. Bakura had been openly watching him for the past fifteen minutes, and it was beginning to creep him out to the point where he would be glad when the bell rang to go back inside. "What do you think it means?

Yuugi grimaced and gave up on the puzzle for the time being as he gingerly rubbed the back of his head, where he'd hit the ground the night before. The pain in his temples hadn't entirely disappeared, and it was blossoming into a full headache as the day went on. "I have no idea, but hopefully, it doesn't mean anything. The last thing Malik needs is to get into any kind of trouble, and if someone starts threatening us, you know that's what will happen."

Ryou sighed. "Yeah, I know."

"Maybe..." he said quietly, "I should stop working on the puzzle."

"What? But you love the puzzle," Ryou protested, genuinely amazed.

"I know, but Tenno mentioned the puzzle last night and said that he thought he could sense it. I know that there's a possibility that he was talking about a different puzzle, but it just seems like too much of a coincidence, and if this puzzle going to cause trouble for us, maybe it's best that I stop." Unconsciously, he cluthed the golden artifact to his chest. The puzzle had been a source of comfort for years, and even talking about giving it up was difficult.

"You can't. No matter what, you _have_ to keep working on that puzzle," Ryou said firmly. "I just have this feeling that you'll be sorry if you stop. You've put your heart and soul into solving that puzzle, so no matter what happens, I think you should keep going. I know that if my father had given me something like that, well... I wouldn't stop until it was complete." He ended his speech on a quiet note and looked down at the ground, knowing that the chances of Osamu ever giving him a gift like the puzzle were slim to none. His father tended to send gifts that were handy, and even though sometimes they were expensive, the lack of thought put into them generally meant they were useless to a boy like Ryou.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Yuugi said with a tiny smile. He gazed down at the puzzle and stroked the gold surface gently. "I just can't wait to see what will happen when I finish putting it together."

**GMA**

School, Malik had come to realize, was one of those few things about the surface world that completely sucked. When he'd lived underground with his sister and father, there had been no need for school; his father had taught them what little information that they needed to know. It was exasperating to understand just how much he and Ishizu had never had the chance to learn, and he often struggled in school because he lacked the basics. How his sister got by in the world with an actual job, he'd never know. He clenched his fists lightly behind his back and held in a sigh, trying to listen as Miyamoto set yet another book down in front of him. That was like the third textbook in ten minutes. Was she crazy?

"I hope that we are not going to have a problem with you this year, Ishtar-san," she said sternly, looking him square in the eyes. "Missing the first day of school is not a good sign of things to come. I would certainly hate to see your chance for a new beginning at this school be squandered because of laziness."

Malik nearly laughed in her face. A new beginning? Yeah, right. The first and last time he'd believed _that_ was just after his father had done _something_ to get them kicked out of the tomb keepers cult. Even now, years later, the man still refused to admit to what he'd done, and asking (something he hadn't dared do for a while) only provoked him into a rage that generally ended with Ishizu in tears and Malik in a hell of a lot of pain. At first, he had been young and naive enough to believe that living on the surface would be different. It wasn't.

"Yes, sensei," he mumbled finally, unconsciously rubbing at his aching shoulder – the result of getting in between his father and Ishizu after the man'd had one too many drinks the night before last. He'd been slammed against the wall so hard that it had been several hours before he could move his fingers, much less his whole arm. Seeing the vivid bruising and swelling, Ishizu had insisted that he take the day off, and given that he hadn't wanted to worry his friends or upset her any more, he'd agreed. If he'd known that his teacher was going to corner him and insist he stay in during lunch, he might have come anyway.

"Yesterday's homework was the first page in your workbook. I'd like you to complete it now so that you won't be behind this afternoon. You may eat while you work. I'm going to be stepping out for a minute." Miyamoto narrowed her eyes, like she was expecting him to be dancing on the desks when she got back. Malik just stared back in a stony silence until she'd left the room and he couldn't hear the sound of her heels on the tile floor anymore.

"Fuck," he muttered, looking back down at the book. His should continued to throb, but he tried to ignore it as he flipped through the workbook, grimacing at the sight of the complicated formulas and equations. If Ryou had been there, his friend would have gladly explained (and probably done) the work for him. As it was, there was just no way Malik was going to spend his lunch working. Fuck that. He shoved the books away and laid his head down, pillowed on top of his arms, and closed his eyes.

Nearly silent footsteps easing into the room prevented him from falling asleep entirely. He tensed, fully prepared for the sound of Miyamoto scolding him for not working, but not for the feeling of arms winding around his body. Shocked, Malik lashed out immediately, punching the person in the jaw, and tried to use the time to wriggle out of the strong grip. His foot knocked against the desk and sent most of his textbooks to the floor with a loud crash. Low laughter rang in his ear as the person stood up, heedless of the way that Malik was kicking him, and bringing their bodies into full contact.

"Hello, pretty hikari," that voice purred into his ear.

"What the..." Malik twisted and saw that he was being held by the same man who had nearly come after he and his friends that morning. Up close, the differences between he and Malik were more noticeable. Hair a shade or two darker than Malik's stuck up in crazed spikes over the man's head. He smiled broadly, revealing teeth that actually looked kind of pointed, and took Malik's chin in hand so that the younger boy couldn't look away from the wild eyes, which were so dark a purple that they looked black in the light. Swallowing hard, Malik tried to punch him a second time, and was alarmed when his chin was freed and his hand was easily grabbed. "What the fuck are you doing? Let go of me!"

"So pretty..." the man sighed, kissing Malik's cheek. The kisses trailed lower, down his neck, and Malik squirmed in an effort to get free. "Such a spitfire... and you feel _so_ nice... No wonder Yami was so anxious about his hikari. If I'd known this was what you felt like, I'd have approached you _much_ sooner!"

"Bastard, get the fuck off!" Malik shouted, wrenching his hand free. Pain shot through his shoulder and he gasped, freezing in place. Abruptly, the man let go, nearly sending Malik to the floor as the sound of running footsteps neared the room. He balanced himself against the desk and grabbed his shoulder, biting his lip so hard that he tasted blood. Tears threatened to sting at his eyes, but he fought them back. Only once he was certain that he was under control did he look up, intending to confront the man. But the room was empty save for him, and Malik stared in astonishment. "What the... where did he go?"

"Ishtar-san!" Miyamoto appeared in the doorway, her face red with anger. "What is the meaning of all of this shouting? And what... what are you doing with your textbooks? Why are they on the floor?"

Malik stared at her dumbly as she strode across the room towards him, then looked past her to the door, completely ignoring the way that she launched into a full scale lecture about the importance of treating one's schoolbooks with care. Where the hell had that bastard gone? Why had he backed off so suddenly? Gingerly, he rubbed his shoulder, which continued to ache with sharp little pulses of pain that ran down his arm. He gritted his teeth. Whoever he was, the next time he came around, he was getting a knife to the ribs.

**GMA**

That afternoon, Yuugi slowly walked home from school by himself. Ryou refused to come anywhere near the place where "that nightmare" was going to be, and Malik had just teased him mercilessly about Rebecca before, after glancing around the schoolyard rather nervously, heading home with Ryou. Every step that brought him closer to the Kame Game Shop made his stomach sink lower, particularly when he finally rounded the corner to his street and saw the familiar black car already parked at the side of the shop. Why did his grandfather have to be such good friends with Arthur Hawkins, of all people?

As quietly as possible, he pushed the back door of the shop open and slipped inside. He could hear voices coming from the front, where Sugoroku and Arthur were no doubt deel into discussion while minding the shop at the same time. Even though the polite thing to do would have been to greet the two of them, Yuugi chose to sneak up the stairs to the third floor, hoping that he could get to his bedroom before Rebecca realized he was home. His wish came true... sort of.

"Rebecca-san, what are you doing on my bed?" he yelped.

The younger girl giggled and bounced off of the bed, landing neatly on the floor. "I've been waiting for you, Yuugi-chan," she said with an impish grin, winding a strand of her light blonde hair around her finger. She was dressed in a white tank top, a deep blue jacket, and a turquoise skirt that had blue sparkles woven through it. "Aren't you happy to see me, Darling?"

"Er... well... yes... of course..." Yuugi said, inching backwards. "I just wasn't expecting to see you... in my room... on my bed... wearing my jacket," he added, suddenly recognizing the blue jacket she wore.

"Oh, I found it in your closet," Rebecca said, tossing her hair over her shoulder and cuddling into the jacket. "It fits me perfectly. It's just another sign that we're made for each other!"

"Yeah, sure," muttered Yuugi, suddenly relieved that Malik and Ryou hadn't come after all. His friends would have pissed themselves laughing by that point. "Rebecca-san, could you... get out? I'd like to get changed."

"You can change in front of me, Yuugi-chan. There doesn't need to be any secrets between us."

Yuugi looked at her like she'd lost her mind. As gently as possible, he took her by the arm and forcibly guided her out of the room. Rebecca pouted as the door was firmly closed behind her. She just couldn't understand why Yuugi kept trying to fight fate. Didn't he realize that the two of them were made for each other? He hadn't even commented on her haircut, or on the brand new skirt she was wearing! Boys were dense, but she'd never realized how bad it could get. Maybe if she helped him get undressed...

"Yuugi-chan – "

"No!" Yuugi shouted from the other side, desperately wishing that his door had a lock. He changed out of his school uniform as quickly as he could, keeping one eye on the handle, because he wouldn't have put it past Rebecca to try sneaking back into the room. Once he was wearing his jeans and a regular shirt, he folded his uniform and put it back into his closet with much more care than he normally would in an effort to delay the inevitable. Sooner or later, Sugoroku would catch on to the fact that he was trying to hide and _make_ him come downstairs. Was it better to wait for that to happen, or accept defeat?

"Darling, I'm waiting for you!" Rebecca's voice sang.

Hanging his head in defeat, he opened the door and allowed her to glomp onto his arm. The two of them made their way down the stairs awkwardly, as she flat out refused to let go. Sugoroku was just putting a platter of roasted chicken down on the table when he saw his grandson and Rebecca, and he had to duck his head to hide his grin. Even though Arthur had long hoped that Yuugi might eventually come around to dating Rebecca, Sugoroku was well aware of his grandson's feelings towards the girl. It was nothing short of amusing to see Yuugi, who was normally so cheerful, try to deal with the clingy girl.

"Sit down, you two. Dinner is ready," he said.

Sugoroku sat down at the head of the table with Arthur across from him, leaving Yuugi and Rebecca to sit on either side, and began to dish out the food. At first, Yuugi was happy, relieved that he wasn't sitting beside Rebecca, because last time she had tried to hand feed him. Until he felt the foot "innocently" sliding up his leg, anyway – then all of his relief went flying out the window. He stiffened, his violet eyes widening slightly when Rebecca's sandal-clad foot stretched and began nudging his crotch. Above the table, Rebecca was thanking Sugoroku for the mashed potatoes, but she tilted her head and shot Yuugi a little wink.

"Oh my god," Yuugi muttered, quickly scooting his chair back a few inches. Her foot fell from his lap and Rebecca sulked, poking at her chicken. She couldn't move any closer to the table and her foot wouldn't reach no matter how far she stretched.

"Yuugi-kun, isn't that uncomfortable?" Arthur asked, looking at him in surprise.

"It's the latest... er... fad," he lied hastily. His position made it rather difficult to eat his food, as he had to scoop the food up with his fork and lever it to his mouth while keeping his lower half away from the table. His grandfather looked far too amused to bother scolding him for his poor table manners. Yuugi shot the man a desperate look and said quickly, "So tell me, Hawkins-san, is it true that you've had a new discovery on the dig?"

Arthur's eyes lit up. "Why yes, it's the most fascinating thing. You see..."

The meal was eaten in relative peace after that, though Rebecca's gleaming turquoise eyes never left Yuugi, who felt like a rabbit being stalked by a lion. She kept dipping her fingers in the potatoes and licking them off slowly in a way that was extremely disturbing when he remembered that she was only twelve years old. It didn't help that Arthur and Sugoroku seemed to be utterly unaware of her little game, as the two of them were completely occupied by the new discovery. Yuugi managed to shovel down half of his food before he leapt up, giving many apologies and claiming tons of homework as his excuse. As he escaped into the kitchen, he was glad to hear Arthur scolding Rebecca for trying to follow him when he was clearly busy with schoolwork. Quickly, he scraped the remainder of his food into the garbage and fled up the stairs.

Gratefully, he closed the door of his bedroom and sat down at his desk chair with a deep sigh. The dinner hadn't been_ too _bad once he'd gotten out of Rebecca's reach, but it was what would happen now that he was really concerned about. He would have to make sure that he stayed downstairs around chaperones once dessert was served, since Malik and Ryou weren't around to help him fend Rebecca off. But in the meantime... with a pleased smile, he got up and rummaged around in the pocket of his school uniform until he found the golden box that held his puzzle. Sitting back down at his desk, he lifted off the top of the box and took the completed chunk out. There was only a handful of pieces left to be fitted together.

"After all this time, I'm nearly done," he whispered, turning the puzzle around in his hands. Now that he was nearly finished, he could see that it would take the shape of an upside pyramid, with a hoop on the top where it could be strung on a cord. Eagerly, he scooped up another piece and, within seconds, had fastened it into place. His fingers reached for a second one.

The distant voices of his grandfather and their two guests were the only sounds he could hear, and eventually, even those faded away into the background as he gave himself over to the puzzle and came ever closer to the end. It was easier to make the pieces fit when he allowed his mind to go blank. Finally, there were two pieces left, and then, only one. Yuugi turned the puzzle so that the gap where the last piece, the one with a peculiar eye-shaped symbol, would fit was facing him. He was beaming with excitement as he grabbed the last piece and gently slotted it into place.

Immediately, the symbo of the eye began to glow with a golden light, which formed into a beam that struck Yuugi in the in the middle of his forehead. He sat there in frozen shock, too stunned to do anything but stare as the light expanded, surrounding him in a column, and intensified in brightness to the point where he had to close his eyes or be blinded. Warmth tingled along his skin, and the puzzle grew hot, burning the skin of his hands. His mouth dropped open in a wordless whimper of pain, and he instinctively tried to let go but found that he couldn't; his hands were trapped around the puzzle. Yuugi forced his eyes open and was just barely able to make out the dark, shadowed figure standing a couple of feet away from him.

Then suddenly, the light vanished and left him feeling completely drained of energy, even more so than the time he and his friends had stayed up for three days straight. The puzzle slipped from his aching fingers and landed on the floor as he began to slide from his chair, too exhausted to even hold himself up or walk over to his bed. He closed his eyes again and tensed, ready for the impact with the floor, when his body stopped, having fallen against something – or someone. Someone who was taller than his grandfather but shorter than Arthur Hawkins, someone who held him gently. That left one person, and if he'd had the strength, he would have groaned.

"R... Rebecca... san..." he mumbled, eyes fluttering shut. "G-go... go... 'way..."

"Shh, Little One. Go to sleep."

The deep, unfamiliar voice had him on instant alert. Yuugi's eyes snapped open and he blinked, craning his neck to look up. Violet eyes widened. Tenno Atemu – "Yami" – was looking down at him, arms wrapped loosely around Yuugi's shoulders to stop him from falling. The symbol of the puzzle was glowing on his tanned forehead in gold, just above two rather captivating crimson eyes. Tenno smiled, as though sensing Yuugi's thoughts, and tenderly scooped up the smaller boy. He easily carried Yuugi over to his bed and set him down on top of the blankets.

"Go to sleep," he repeated, lightly stroking his fingers against Yuugi's cheek. "It takes a lot of energy for the puzzle to forge a bond between us. You'll feel better once you've slept the night through. We will speak tomorrow, my little hikari."

"Who..." Yuugi tried. "What..." There were so many questions he wanted to ask, like how the hell Tenno had gotten into his bedrrom, but even forcing those scant words out had taken what little energy he had left. Against his will, his eyes closed again, and sleep took him over almost instantly.

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Please review!


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Here we are again, with another chapter. I was finally able to get some R/B interaction in. Scant as it, that still made me happy. Just as a note, Yami's parents are just random OCs I made up for the story. They're not from the anime or manga so don't strain yourselves trying to recognize them. I realize that biologically, Yami shouldn't be able to look the way he does with "normal" parents, but it's Yami. Enough said. Enjoy the story.

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As the sun began to rise once more for a brand new day, Yami quietly got out of bed and dressed in what passed for his school uniform. Normally, he enjoyed sleeping in until the very last minute, but this was one where day where he didn't mind get up early. It was time to confront his little partner. He'd been shocked the day before when, while he'd been out with his friends, the power of the Millennium Puzzle had activated and whisked him away to an unfamiliar place with a very familiar boy. The memory of Yuugi's exhausted, confused face was enough to make Yami smirk to himself as he eased his bedroom door open and crept down the stairs. Explaining this would be fun, no doubt, considering that sometimes he barely believed it himself.

"Atemu! Atemu, come in here, please."

Yami suppressed a growl and reluctantly entered the dining room. He'd been so _close_ to getting out of the house without his parents noticing! Sometimes he really envied Bakura's ability to sneak around without anyone seeing or hearing. "What is it, Okaa-san?" he asked, standing just inside of the entrance.

Tenno Akemi leaned forward and looked intently at her only child. Even though she smiled, there was no warmth in her blue eyes. "Your father wants to speak to you."

"I'm going to be late meeting my friends," Yami pointed out. "Can't it wait?"

"No, it can't," said Tenno Daiki, taking a long sip from his cup of tea. His deep brown eyes studied his son, taking in every detail, and he spoke carefully. "How are you enjoying your school?"

"It's fine."

"Your teachers all appear to be very pleased with you. Your grades last semester were adequate, though you'll need to keep a closer eye on your maths and sciences," his father said, finally getting to the point of the matter. "You are almost eighteen years old, Atemu. That was the age when the Pharaoh was sealed away. The Millennium Puzzle should be calling out to you soon."

"I'm sure it will," said Yami, who had absolutely no desire to inform his parents that it had already happened. As far as he was concerned, it was none of their business. "But I haven't felt anything yet."

"You will," Daiki said confidently. "You're going to save the world."

Yami said nothing, and after a few more artificial words about keeping his grades up, his parents allowed him to leave. He made sure to slam the door of their home as he did. That was all he'd heard about while he was growing up; the fact that he was the reincarnation of the Pharaoh who had been prophesized as the one who could control the realm of darkness. The Pharaoh who was apparently missing something very important – like the other half of a soul. The Pharaoh that his whole family had been waiting three thousand years to see. Sometimes he was certain that his parents didn't even see _him_, but the Pharaoh he had supposedly once been.

It was nothing short of infuriating to constantly live in the shadow of someone who wasn't even alive. While he was growing up, Yami would have thought his parents were completely insane, were it not for the little bit of shadow magic that he was able to use and the fact that he'd always felt like he was missing _something_. His parents didn't particularly care about the fact that their son was missing half of his soul; they were far more interested in Yami being able to claim the riches of the Pharaoh once he had proof that he could use of the Millennium Puzzle's power.

"Greedy humans," he muttered, glancing down at his hand as a ball of shadow magic formed. Already, he could feel that it was much easier to call upon the shadows, and the bond between he and his hikari was still new and fresh. He shuddered to think of what kind of power would be at his disposal once the bond was whole. Hopefully, the prophecy would come true, and his light would be able to stop him from descending into the depths of madness. After all, he sometimes felt as though he was already halfway there, and that it wouldn't take much to push him the rest of the way. Yami sincerely doubted that the small boy he'd met the night before would be able to do that... and for that reason, he feared for the future.

**GMA**

The next morning, Yuugi finally awoke when the snooze button on his alarm clock went off for the fifth time. He sat up slowly and pressed the button to make it stop, then rubbed his eyes, wondering how it could be past seven in the morning already. It felt like he'd only gone to bed five minutes ago. Reluctantly, he pushed the covers on his bed back and climbed out. Taking a shower would have been _way_ too much effort, so instead he just got dressed. By the time he was done putting his jacket on, he was exhausted, and had to sit back down on the bed for a moment. Something sharp dug into his hip, and, curious, he glanced down and gasped at the sight of the completed Millennium Puzzle, which had apparently somehow ended up on the bed with him while he slept. That's when he remembered the night before, including the odd appearance of his classmate, Tenno "Yami" Atemu.

"I must have been dreaming," Yuugi muttered, placing the puzzle in his lap. He thoughtfully ran one finger over a sharp corner and realized that he didn't feel quite so tired when he was holding it. "There's no way that Tenno was here in _my_ bedroom... Great, now exposure to Rebecca is giving me nightmares!"

Rolling his eyes, Yuugi stood up and carefully made his way out the door, carrying the Puzzle. He went down the stairs and into the kitchen. There was no sign of Sugoroku, but a pile of pancakes was on the table with syrup and butter, and he could smell eggs frying in a pan on the stove. As he gave the eggs a quick stir to keep them from burning, he took a bolt of strong cord out of the cupboard and cut a length from it. The cord fit easily into the hoop on top of the puzzle, allowing Yuugi to tie the two ends into a knot.

"Yuugi, there you are. I wondered if you were going to get up today," Sugoroku said, entering the kitchen as Yuugi placed the puzzle around his neck.

"What do you mean, Jii-chan?" He muffled a yawn as he slid into his place at the table, too tired to even set out the plates and utensils like he normally did. Sugoroku shot him a worried look as he put the eggs on a plate and brought them to the table, then poured milk (for Yuugi) and tea (for himself).

"You fell asleep right after dinner last night. I kept trying to wake you up for dessert and you kept rolling over and muttering something about the puzzle and... yami? The darkness?" Sugoroku shook his head. "I didn't know what you meant. I finally gave up and told Arthur-san and Rebecca-chan that you were just overtired from being stressed about a new school. Rebecca-chan was awfully disappointed, I must say."

Yuugi stared down the table, blushing. Had he really been talking about Yami in his sleep? Thank god he'd never mentioned the man to his grandfather, preventing him from making the connection. "I'm sorry. I guess I wasn't feeling too great," he mumbled. "After I solved the puzzle, I felt so tired..."

"I'm really happy that you solved the puzzle, Yuugi. It's quite an accomplishment, and you should be proud. But I hadn't intended for you to put so much effort into trying to solve it. That's really not healthy, and I wish you'd hadn't stayed up so late. It caught up with you all at once. Are you sure you're well enough to go to school today?" Sugoroku reached out and placed a hand against Yuugi's cheek, then moved it to his forehead. He frowned thoughtfully. "You do feel a bit warm. Maybe you should stay home."

"No, Jii-chan, I'm fine."

In spite of his words, Yuugi mostly picked at his breakfast, even though he was well aware of his grandfather's concerned expression. He just didn't feel like eating that morning, not when he was so tired that keeping his eyes open was difficult, and he couldn't seem to force the pancakes or eggs down no matter how hard he tried. When it was time to go, he scraped the remains of his uneaten breakfast into the garbage and said his farewell to Sugoroku, who still didn't seem very sure about letting Yuugi go. Yuugi picked up his backpack, forced a bright smile for his grandfather's benefit, and went out the door with a bounce in his step. Only once he was sure that Sugoroku was no longer watching after him did he allow himself to lean against a store window, eyes half-closed as he fought off another yawn. How was he going to make it to school?

"You don't look like you feel very well, Little One."

"Gah!" Yuugi jumped and spun, nearly tipping over backwards. He swallowed hard when he saw that Tenno Yami was standing right behind him. "What... what do you want?"

"I told you that we needed to talk today," said Tenno calmly. "I see you're wearing the puzzle. Good."

Realizing that maybe the night before hadn't been a dream after all, Yuugi took a step backwards. "I don't know what you're talking about," he lied.

"Really? I think you do. I can feel it," he said, looking highly amused. "You don't need to be afraid of me, Little One. I would never hurt you. We're partners in every way imaginable, you know."

That was enough for Yuugi. He turned, intending to summon all of his strength in order to make a run for it, and was surprised when Tenno's hand shot out and clamped around his wrist. "Hey, let go of me!"

"Sorry. I can't have you running away before you understand. Why don't we go somewhere and talk?"

"Talk? Why would I want to talk to_ you_?" he demanded, lowering his gaze to Tenno's hand. Strangely enough, the fear and anger that was pounding through his body began to ebb away, and he felt his body begin to relax. He raised his eyes to meet Tenno's and saw that the boy no longer looked amused, but rather fascinated. Clearly, he was feeling it – whatever 'it' was – as well. "Alright, let's go somewhere and talk," he said grudgingly.

Tenno just nodded silently and led the way down the alley, which put them out onto Domino Street. Yuugi swallowed hard when Tenno went into a small but extremely expensive cafe that was well known for amazing pastries and exorbitant prices. He was pretty sure that a month's allowance wouldn't buy a cup of tea, but he wasn't about to say as much to Tenno. Instead, he followed the man to a table and sat down when Tenno did, placing his book bag on the ground beside him. It felt good to sit. His whole body ached like he'd been in a fight the night before, even though he hadn't.

"Drink," said Tenno, and Yuugi opened eyes that he hadn't realized he'd closed to see that a cup of tea had been placed in front of him. There was a note of concern in his voice that made Yuugi study him warily as he spoke again. "You're tired, aren't you? It will make you feel better."

Suspicious but willing, Yuugi studied the cup of tea. It was a light yellow color, and the smell rising from it spoke of citrus. Knowing that the cafe was also famed for tea, he cautiously lifted the cup to his lips and took a cautious sip. The taste of orange mixed with a hint of chocolate flowed across his tongue, sending a shiver through his body. Almost instantly, he felt just a little more alert. He blinked at Tenno, who graced him with a smile before looking out the window. There was a cup of tea in front of Tenno, but the man didn't touch it as Yuugi drank from his own. When his cup was empty and a waitress had immediately approached to replace it with a new, steaming cup, Tenno finally glanced back at him.

"What do you know about the Puzzle?" he asked.

Startled by the question, he paused a moment to gather his thoughts before speaking. "My grandfather gave it to me as a gift. He told me that it came from Ancient Egypt and that there was a great mystery surrounding it. No one has ever been able to solve it, so no one is sure of what the riddle on the side means. I know that it took _me_ ages."

Tenno nodded. "I imagine it did," he muttered. "The Millennium Puzzle belonged to a Pharaoh in Ancient Egypt. His name has been lost to time, but many believe that it was "Atemu"."

"Atemu?" Yuugi repeated, remembering that even though Tenno went by "Yami", Ryou had found out that his first name was Atemu. He eyed the man as he took another sip of tea. "How do you know that?"

"You could say that my family is very interested in the Millennium Items," said Tenno. "I have grown up knowing of the legend that surrounds the Puzzle. There are seven Millennium Items, each with a special power that can only be used by a specific person. The Puzzle originally belonged to a Pharaoh that was murdered by his brother, who sought to seize the throne for himself. The first Pharaoh's son ascended to the throne in his place and fought a war with his uncle for possession of the country. It was a difficult battle because the new Pharaoh couldn't use the Millennium Puzzle the way it was meant to be used."

"Why not?" asked Yuugi, fascinated by the story. He'd always longed to know more about the origins of the puzzle. "Wasn't the Pharaoh the person meant to have the Puzzle?"

"Oh, he was, but the Pharaoh was missing something very important, and it turns out that he wasn't the only one." Tenno's eyes moved up from the Puzzle to lock onto Yuugi's, crimson connecting with violet. "A Priestess who owned the Millennium Tauk, which is a kind of necklace, had the ability to receive visions. She discovered that the Pharaoh was missing the light half of his soul. Without his hikari, the Puzzle would not respond to him because the power of the shadows would be too strong. The Pharaoh would have been overwhelmed and been driven crazy, and the whole world would have suffered." His voice became quiet, his gaze distant. "So the Pharaoh agreed to allow himself to be sacrificed, so that he could be reborn at the same time as his hikari."

A silence descended upon the table. Yuugi fought against the urge to squirm and wondered what he should say. Tenno seemed as though he was a hundred miles away. "What an interesting story," he said at last, one hand resting lightly on the Puzzle. "I've always been curious about the Puzzle, but I had no way of finding out about its origins. Thank you for telling me."

"I had a vested interest in doing so," Tenno replied quietly. "Yuugi, the only one who could solve the Millennium Puzzle is the Pharaoh's hikari, the other half of his soul."

Yuugi was so taken aback by the fact that Tenno had called him by his first name that for a moment, he didn't fully process the last part of the man's sentence. Once he did, his eyes widened and he sat back, shocked by what Tenno was trying to imply. "Are you trying to say that _I'm_ the Pharaoh's hikari?" he asked incredulously. "I'm very sorry, Tenno-san, but I believe that you have me confused for someone else."

"You solved the Puzzle, didn't you?"

Silently, Yuugi nodded.

"Then you _are_ the Pharaoh's hikari," he said firmly. He paused, and something that might have been anxiety flashed across his face as he leaned forward, reaching across the table to cup Yuugi's cheek and force him to look straight into Tenno's eyes. "Yuugi, you are _my_ hikari and the other half of my soul. I am the Pharaoh reincarnated, and the other half of _your_ soul."

**GMA**

Because Yuugi had neglected to show up to school that day, Malik planned to visit the Kame Game Shop after school that day and see if he was around. Ryou begged off, citing a large research project in one of his courses that he didn't share with Malik, and headed home by himself, trying to ignore the unsettling feeling that came from lying to his friends. The real reason he didn't want to visit Yuugi was because he had a dreadful headache. He'd been plagued with migraines for much of his life, ever since the death of Amane and his mother. His father had taken him to many doctors before giving up after every doctor told them the same thing: there was no discernible physical reason for the migraines, and so nothing could be done to treat them except for pain medication when one hit.

Malik often worried over him when a headache struck, but truthfully, sometimes it was much nicer just to lay on his bed with his room dark and quiet and a cool cloth across his eyes instead of having someone fuss over him. He was looking forward to doing just that when he rounded the corner to his street and made his way to his house. His head was throbbing so badly that at first, he didn't even register that something wasn't right until he'd actually stepped into the front hall. The door was unlocked, the lights were on, and he could distinctly hear voices coming from the kitchen.

"What the..." Ryou hesitated, wondering if he should retreat and call the police. But what kind of burglars would make it so obvious that they had broken into a home? The decision ended up being made for him when a somewhat familiar man came out of the kitchen and spotted him.

"Ryou-kun!" he bellowed.

"Otou-san," Ryou gasped in surprise, flinching at the noise. In the next second, he was grabbed in a hug so tight that all of the breath left his body in a _whoosh_. He squeaked something unintelligible, too shocked to even protest the rough treatment even though it made his head worse. His father was normally so depressed when he was in Japan that he barely spoke to Ryou, much less embraced him so exuberantly. What was going on?

"Darling, let him go. You're holding on too tightly," a female voice said.

Bakura Osamu laughed heartily and dropped his son on the floor. "Sorry, kiddo. I was just happy that you were home. Seems like we've been waiting for ages."

"Happy that I was home?" he repeated blankly, looking from his father to the woman standing behind him. As he watched, she stepped forward and laid a possessive hand on Osamu's arm even as she looked at Ryou and smiled. A bad feeling began to creep up on him. "Otou-san, what's going on? I thought you were sending me a package. I wasn't expecting..."

"I know. I was going to put your gift in the mail like I said in the letter, but then Samira suggested that I deliver it to you in person," said Osamu, winding an arm around Samira's shoulders. "We have some exciting news, and she thought that we probably shouldn't tell you over the phone." The two of them exchanged meaningful, tender looks before Osamu cleared his throat and spoke roughly. "Ryou-kun, Samira and I were married. This is your new step-mother."

A dull roaring filled Ryou's ears as he glanced between the two of them in disbelief. His father was a surprisingly tall man at just over six foot, with dark hair and brown eyes. Samira was shorter, about the same height as Ryou, with long, dark red hair that she wore freely around her shoulders. Her eyes were a deep shade of green and her skin was paler. Together, they looked good... and yet it was so wrong, because just over Osamu's shoulder, he could see a picture of his mother, with her pale hair and blue eyes and kind smile. He opened his mouth and then closed it as words failed him. What was he supposed to say?

Samira seemed to sense that he was too stunned to respond. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him. "I'm so happy to meet you, Ryou-kun," she said in softly accented Japanese, holding him at arm's length. "Your father has told me so much about you, I just had to visit. I hope that's okay."

"Ryou-kun?" his father said hesitantly. "_Are_ you alright?"

Ryou shook his head numbly, unable to speak, and pulled away from Samira. Silently, he turned and walked right out the front door of his house. He broke into a run as soon as he was outside, ignoring the way that Samira and Osamu called out to him as he reached the sidewalk, and took off down the street. His head was pounding in tune with his heart, making the knowledge of what he'd just learned that much worse. How could his father be _married_? This was the man who had been utterly broken after the death of his wife, the man who had been unable to even look at Ryou because he resembled his mother so much. Years of unbearable loneliness had followed that horrible day, and his father had had the nerve to bring a new wife back to the house? To hug and kiss her in the same house where his first wife had once lived and laughed?

His stomach tightened warningly at the thought of his mother and he staggered, clutching at his midsection. A woman protested when he swerved into her, and he stumbled away, knowing that if he opened his mouth to apologize, everyone was going to be sorry. He finally spotted a garbage can and clapped a hand to his mouth as he hurried over to it, reaching it just in time for everything he'd eaten that day to come up violently. Ryou hung over the side of the can once he was finished, gasping softly. The pain in his head was so bad that the mere thought of straightening and trying to walk away was nearly impossible.

"What a weakling," someone said in disgust, right before a strong arm wrapped around his chest and practically lifted him off of his feet. Ryou moaned and clutched his head, in too much pain to do anything else. The man dragged him over to the grass, away from the path and the people walking by, before setting him down on the ground. He collapsed into a heap and curled up with his knees close to his chest, holding onto his head and wondering if it was going to explode.

The man sighed loudly and then hands touched his head, curling around his cheeks and tightening when he tried to bat them away until he gave up. A soothing, cool feeling gradually became noticeable, chasing away the overwhelming pain and making it bearable. Ryou opened his eyes and stared at the fuzzy face right in front of him, inches away from his own face. He recognized the white hair and tanned skin, but his mind still had trouble processing the fact that Takahashi Bakura was trying to help _him_, of all people. Bakura frowned in concentration and then, abruptly, let go, letting Ryou fall back against the ground.

"If you're going to be this much of a pain, the least you could do is get the Ring," he told Ryou.

Ryou just stared in response. The pain in his head had lessened to the point where he would actually be able to sleep, and he could feel exhaustion settling over him in great waves. It always happened when he had a migraine. Even though he would have liked to ask Bakura a great deal of questions, he settled for leaning back against the cool grass and closing his eyes. He didn't actually fall asleep, but just laying there in the fresh air and quiet seemed to be doing the job... and even though he wouldn't have wanted to admit it, the fact that he could sense Bakura hovering somewhere nearby helped as well.

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Please review!


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** I swear, the more I write this story, the more I love it. I had to write an extra chapter (of all four of my stories) this week as I'm going on vacation next week, and it was a lot easier than I anticipated. Thank you so much for the reviews, I cherish every single one of them! Last week was extra special because I got my first ever piece of fanart that was inspired by a story I wrote. Super exciting! Enjoy the chapter, everyone.

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Although the other patrons of the coffee shop continued to move and chat and shop around them, Yuugi felt frozen to the spot as Tenno's words continued to play through his mind. He continued to stare into those captivating crimson eyes, searching for a sign that Tenno was lying or joking. All he saw was complete sincerity, and it occurred to him that Tenno really believed in what he had just said, despite the fact that it was impossible. "You... really do believe that, don't you?" he asked in wonder, just to be sure.

Uncertainty and surprise flashed in Tenno's eyes, and his grip on Yuugi's chin relaxed, though he didn't let go. He'd clearly been expecting Yuugi to call him crazy and perhaps try to run away. "I have to. It's the only thing that makes sense. I've been told that for as long as I can remember. Besides, sometimes, when I sleep at night, I can recall bits and pieces of that life. It's nothing concrete, but from what I've seen..." He fell silent, his voice trailing off, as his touch grew even gentler. His thumb gently stroked the soft skin of Yuugi's cheek as he added, "I've never told anyone that before. You're easy to talk to."

"Have you any proof?" Yuugi asked, blushing slightly. Part of him was alarmed at just how completely crazy the mere notion of this was, and yet... another part of him refused to discount the way he felt when Tenno touched him. It was like finding something vital that he'd never even realized that he was missing. The heat from the man's hand felt good against his cheek, causing a shiver that he felt all the way down to his toes, and his words had provoked a reaction from some hidden part of him that he hadn't known existed.

In response, Tenno held out his free hand, using the shadows of their bodies to hide what he was doing from the other people in the cafe. Wispy black vapours rose from the pads of his fingers to form a ball of greyish black clouds that floated about an inch above the palm of his hand. Yuugi stared in awe and reached out to touch it, curious to see what it would feel like. As his fingers neared, he felt a quiver of warmth shoot through his arm, and a flash of white light leapt from his outstretched hand to surround the ball of clouds, compressing against them until it disappeared, beam and all. Shocked, Yuugi pulled back and studied his unblemished skin, wondering where the beam had come from and how he had done that.

"What was that?" he asked, glancing at Tenno.

"I don't know," said Tenno, sounding bewildered. He released Yuugi and flexed the fingers of the hand that had summoned the shadows. "I've... never seen anything affect the shadows like that before." Crimson eyes were full of wonder as he glanced at Yuugi. "Maybe... you _are_ the one."

Now that Tenno was no longer touching him, Yuugi felt reality returning. He shook his head and pushed his chair back to stand up, completely disregarding the part of him that commanded he sit down again. "Look, thank you for telling me the history behind the Puzzle. I really do appreciate it. But... I have to be honest and say that I really think that your family has this part of the legend wrong. I'm _not_ the Pharaoh's hikari. I just... I'm really good at Puzzles, that's all." He hesitated. "I'm sorry, but you're going to have to keep looking. The other half of your soul has got to be out there somewhere."

Tenno studied him silently. "Would you give me the Puzzle, then?"

"What?" His hands flew to cradle the Puzzle protectively, as though he thought Tenno might jump over the table and try to take it from him. Even though he'd only been wearing it for a short time, he'd already grown attached to it, and the thought of not wearing it felt nearly unbearable. "Why?"

"It belongs to me and my hikari. If you're not him, then you won't have any problem giving it to me." There was a small smile playing around Tenno's lips, and Yuugi had the feeling that he was being played. A pout unconsciously formed on his face as he lifted his hands to his neck and hesitated. He wavered for so long that Tenno's expression softened and he leaned forward again. "I'll make you a deal. You can keep wearing it for the time being as long as you help me to find my hikari. Okay?"

"Alright," Yuugi agreed quickly, willing to help as long as he could keep wearing his Puzzle. He eyed Tenno, realizing that he really and truly thought that he was the reincarnation of a three thousand year old Pharaoh. The very thought was crazy, and he was insane for not walking out of here and writing Tenno off completely the instant the man started getting into weirder territory. For some reason he didn't want to examine too closely, he couldn't bring himself to do just that. "Where do you want to start looking?"

"I have the feeling that the Puzzle will lead me to him," said Tenno calmly. "Really, I could stand to wait. My parents have been driving me nuts as it is, and I'm not particularly anxious to have them know someone has solved the Puzzle."

"Then what do I have to do?" he asked suspiciously. Tenno didn't seem like the kind of person who would let someone have something for nothing, and since he was allowing Yuugi to keep the puzzle for now, there had to be some sort of catch. He muffled a yawn with his hand and frowned at Tenno. "How can I help you find him if you're just going to wait and see what the Puzzle does?"

"It's simple. I have to be around the Puzzle. You're wearing the Puzzle. Ergo, we have to spend time together," he answered, a glint of satisfaction in his eyes.

Yuugi blinked at him, torn between outright shock that someone like Tenno Yami would want to spend time with him, and anxiety about being alone with the man. Tenno constantly left him feeling off balance, like he didn't know where he sat with him, and that was a feeling Yuugi wasn't used to. But how could he protest? Giving up the Puzzle wasn't even an option, and technically, if Tenno was telling the truth – and reluctantly, Yuugi did believe him – the Puzzle belonged to him. He had no right to say no.

"Alright," he agreed uncertainly, wishing that there was more tea left in his cup. He'd drunk two cups, and although it had helped at first, he could feel the exhaustion sneaking back up on him. "Right now?"

"No, you look like you're about to fall over." Tenno studied him. "I don't think you'd be conscious long enough for it to count. Maybe you should go home and sleep for a while."

Going home would mean worrying his grandfather, who thought that he'd made it to school, but he had to admit that Tenno had a point. He stood up and said a polite good-bye to Tenno, then turned and made his way towards the door, cradling the Puzzle in his hands. If he hadn't been so tired, he would have realized that the further he got from Tenno, the more exhausted he felt, but it was going to take all of his strength to get home, and he had no energy for realizations. That was probably the reason that, although he took notice the smirk that Tenno wore as Yuugi stumbled through the door of the cafe, he didn't understand the full ramifications of it as he disappeared into the crowd outside.

**GMA**

Yami raised a hand and beckoned for the bill without ever taking his eyes off of the window. Even though Yuugi had left about fifteen minutes earlier, he had remained in the same spot, his expression thoughtful as he contemplated how their meeting had gone. To be honest, Yuugi had taken the revelation far better than he had dared to hope, with a measure of calm that had been unexpected. Of course, he could tell that in spite of the proof he'd been shown, his little one didn't entirely believe everything that Yami had said. That wasn't overly surprising; he would have been more than a little shocked if Yuugi had gone along with him willingly. As it was, the fact that Yuugi had actually agreed to spend time with him was a welcome surprise. Sooner or later, the boy would have no choice but to accept that he truly was the Pharaoh's other half... _Yami's_ other half.

When he realized the waitress was ignoring him in favour of flirting with a group of high school boys, he slipped some money onto the table and stood up, heading out of the cafe. It was too late to go to school, but he wasn't concerned about missing the day. Even if the school called, the message would likely be given to his mother, who was far more concerned with her own life than in making sure her son actually showed up to school. For that reason, he was in no hurry as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his jacket and ambled down the sidewalk. The forging of the bond had left him tired as well, but not to the point that Yuugi was. One more good night of rest and he would feel good as new, whereas Yuugi - who wasn't used to the power of the shadows - might take a little while longer to recuperate. No matter. If he stayed home from school the next day, it would make an excellent excuse for Yami to drop by.

"All I need is time," he muttered to himself, confident that after a few days, Yuugi would realize the truth of the matter and come around to the idea. He was positive of that. In the meantime, he saw no problems with monitoring the safety of his hikari from a distance. After all, Yami couldn't deny the spark he felt every time he touched Yuugi. Touch seemed to magnify their bond, allowing him to send the impressions of feelings into his partner and vice versa. They were definitely partners in soul, and that was a fact that he could not bring himself to ignore.

His cell phone rang, jolting him out of his thoughts. Blinking, Yami reached for the phone and squinted at the screen. With a sigh, he held it to his ear. "What do you want, Bakura? Aren't you supposed to be at school?"

"Interesting question for the boy who is also cutting," Bakura replied. "I'll have you know that I'm hiding in a tree, watching over my hikari."

"... Ow, shit!"

"What happened?"

"I tripped over a trash can, that's what happened," Yami snapped, ignoring the woman who was shaking her fist at him. "What do you mean, you're with your hikari? You don't know who that is."

"Sure I do," Bakura answered lightly, snickering. "Come on, Pharaoh, don't start being even more stupid now than you usually are. It's so obvious. If your hikari is the shrimp who looks just like you, then mine is going to be the one who looks like me. I'm not going to waste time until he gets his hands on the Ring. Fuck knows when that could be."

"Bakura," Yami warned, feeling the beginning of a headache. "You know that it's dangerous to try and forge a bond until you've got your Millennium Item. There's a reason why the power of the shadows doesn't really work for us. We're different from Seto and Jou. If you hurt your hikari..." He let his voice trail off, knowing that Bakura would understand the implications of what he was saying. It was a dangerous road that Bakura was following, but then, when had that ever stopped him before?

"Yeah, yeah," grumbled Bakura. "I didn't actually say anything to him. Besides, I told you before. I can sense that the Ring is close. He's been around it at some point, I can tell. It won't be long until he has it, and at that point, it won't matter anymore because the Ring will forge that stupid bond. I can't fucking wait to have full access to my powers again..." His voice sounded dreamy.

Yami fought back a grimace as he turned in the direction of his cousin's house. Unlike him, Bakura remembered every detail of his past life, and he'd often spoken of the day that he would be able to use his hikari to have full access to the power of the Millennium Ring. It worried Yami in some ways, the thought that Bakura might make life hell for his hikari just because he could be so power-hungry. "Until then, just be careful of what you say," he said tiredly, because what else could be said to a thief who didn't listen to anyone? Bakura was so used to going his own way that his hikari was going to have a difficult time trying to keep Bakura in line, Yami was sure of that.

"I didn't call you for a lecture, Pharaoh," Bakura said mockingly.

"Well you got one anyway, thief," Yami shot back. "Have you heard from Mariku? He hadn't made contact, has he?"

"Not as far as I know, but I suspect Mariku has come to the same conclusion that I have. He might be crazy, but he's not stupid," Bakura answered. Mariku was almost as desperate to find his hikari as Yami and Bakura were. Both of them were hoping that the other half of his soul would have some luck in keeping Mariku more grounded, because Ra knew it was nearly impossible trying to control him on their own. "However, if it makes you feel better, I doubt Mariku had approached that kid Malik yet."

"I'm not so sure about that," muttered Yami. "Look, I'll let you go. If you see Mariku, tell him to behave."

Bakura snorted. "Whatever."

The dial tone sounded in his ear and Yami sighed, tucking his phone back into the pocket of his jacket. He zipped it up and stepped off the curb, heading for Seto's house; his cousin could be awfully annoying when Yami didn't keep him up to date on everything that was going on. Bakura would do what he wanted, that's the way he always was, and Yami didn't have time to spend on him. Here he was worrying about Bakura's relationship with his hikari when his own didn't even believe him! Yuugi would come around, Yami was sure of that, but he didn't know how long it would take or what he would have to do to make sure that happened. Perhaps Seto would have some ideas...

**GMA**

There had been a time in his life when Katsuya Jounouchi wouldn't have considered himself to be a very lucky person. Back when he'd been living with his father, there were mornings when he went to school in a lot of pain, days where he'd been unsure of when he would eat again, and nights that he'd spent out on the street. Now, as he reclined on the plush couch in his boyfriend's enormous, air conditioned office, snacked on sandwiches and soda and cookies, and watched said boyfriend bicker with one of his best friends like a five-year-old, he realized not for the first time that he was very lucky indeed. Meeting Kaiba Seto had changed his life forever in a way that he had never dared to dream of.

At first, he'd hated being sent to Mori High, because it meant he was being separated from the friends who had supported him all through middle school. It was just bad luck that he lived so far away from them. But it had meant meeting Seto on his way home one day, after the driver of Seto's car nearly struck him. Seto's shadow magic had allowed him to recognize Jou immediately, and he'd begun pursuing Jou with the same stubborn determination that he gave to all areas of his life in spite of Jou's protests. Slowly but surely, he'd stopped protesting and learned to appreciate Seto, allowing them to develop a tentative friendship.

Then Seto had discovered the kind of home life that Jou possessed, and he'd immediately taken measures to end that. Currently, Jou resided in the Kaiba Mansion with Seto and his little brother, Kaiba Mokuba, who idolized Jou and loved the fact that his "big brother" actually had someone else who cared about him. He was able to keep in much closer contact with his little sister, and Seto had even been able to afford the eye surgery that had ultimately saved Shizuka's eyes before she went blind forever. It hadn't been long before their relationship progressed to the next level.

Jou knew that he owed a lot to Seto, but he never felt like he was in debt to the man that he loved. He knew that there were many smaller ways in which he had changed both Seto's and Mokuba's lives for the better forever. Just waking up every morning beside Seto and seeing the deep love in those unfathomable blue eyes told him that he'd already paid Seto back a million times over, just by staying at the man's side, where he belonged.

Of course, there were also the times like this, when he was able to watch with no small amount of amusement as Seto tried, for the fifth time, to ignore Yami and return to his work. It wasn't working. Yami could be every bit as stubborn as Seto when he wanted to be, and in a battle of wills, it was impossible to say just who would come out on top, especially when Yami had been worked into such a tizzy by something... or someone. He grinned to himself, enjoying the sight of seeing Yami so flustered, until the shorter teen spoke a name that made him sit up and take attention.

"Hang on, did you just say Mutou Yuugi?" he asked sharply.

Yami had just pushed Seto's laptop back and perched on the desk right in front of Seto so that he couldn't be ignored, but he glanced up at the question. "Yes. He solved the Millennium Puzzle last night and is therefore my hikari. Do you know him?"

"Yeah," Jou said, sinking back again the couch in surprise. Mutou Yuugi. He hadn't thought about Yuugi in some time. They'd been best friends in elementary school, ever since chibi Jou had torn apart chibi Yuugi's puzzle on the first day of school. He vividly remembered feeling guilty when chibi Yuugi's eyes welled up with tears, to the point where he'd stolen a puzzle from someone else in an attempt to make up for it. Not too long after that, Bakura Ryou had joined their group, and then Ishtar Malik. Yuugi and Ryou had always been extremely close, with a connection that neither Malik nor Jou could attempt to match, but Jou and Malik shared their own bond: one born of the knowledge of what it was like to live with an abusive parent and a sister that you would do anything to protect.

In high school, zoning laws had forced Jou to part from them, and then he'd been so caught up with Seto and leaving home that he'd drifted away from the three of them. Not for the first time, he felt guilty about that, even though he knew that all of his friends would have understood - and, indeed, even been happy for him. Yuugi, with his perpetually cheerful demeanour, and quiet Ryou, who'd always offered support without words, and Malik, who understood and could smile through the pain... He looked at Yami and frowned.

"He was my best friend when I was a kid. I can't believe he's your hikari," he said slowly. It was a lie, really, because it made sense - so much so that he couldn't believe it hadn't occurred to him before. Seto disliked magic even though as the reincarnation of a Priest, he was skilled in the art, so it wasn't really something they spoke about often. Even though Jou had known that Yami, Bakura, and Malik were searching for the Millennium Items and their hikaris, he hadn't really put much thought into it.

Still, he could see how Yuugi and Yami would balance each other out perfectly. Yuugi was sweet, energetic, and kind, with a strong desire to believe the best of everyone and everything, but he attracted trouble like no one else. Yami was more powerful and wise, with a keen sense of paranoia, a will to protect, and the courage to see it through. Yes, they would do well together. Yuugi would even be able to help keep Yami in line. He snickered to himself at the thought of seeing those puppy eyes being used on Yami and hoped that he would be around for it. Yami wouldn't know what hit him.

"Have you met him?" he asked, trying to hide his amusement.

"Yes. He didn't believe me," Yami said. On anyone else, his expression would have been called a pout. "He thinks that the legend is wrong, and anyone could solve the Puzzle, not just the other half of my soul." He landed gracefully on his feet as Seto shoved him off of the desk. "But I've gotten him to agree to help me find my hikari in return for being able to keep the Puzzle. I think that if we spend a bit more time together, he'll come around. I didn't realize you knew him, but you can help me. What does he like to do?"

"Oh no. I'm not helping you cheat," said Jou, shaking his head. "You're on your own, Pharaoh."

"Stop calling me that! It's bad enough I have to hear it from Bakura and Mariku all the time," Yami ordered, already annoyed by the fact that Seto had flat out refused to do a background search on Yuugi, no matter how much he pleaded, and he didn't have the technological understanding to just do it himself.

"Yami, if you want to learn about the kid, go spend time with him," snapped Seto, pulling his laptop back across his desk. "Stop badgering my pup."

Jou blushed at the nickname and cleared his throat when he saw Yami smirking. "He loves games, okay? That's all you're getting out of me. I won't tell you anything else."

"Fine. But out of curiosity, do you know Yuugi's friends?" Yami asked. There was a familiar glint in his crimson eyes, which really should have tipped Jou off, but like an idiot, he responded anyway.

"Yeah, why?"

"Just curious. I'm going now, but I'll be sure to let Bakura and Mariku know that you can tell them _all_ about their hikaris," came the reply as Yami slipped out of the office.

"What? No, Yami, wait!" He made it to the door just in time to see the elevator doors closing, cutting off Yami's laughter. Groaning, Jou turned back to Seto. "Fuck, now those two are going to drive me insane."

"You should know better than to antagonize my cousin," Seto replied, looking at his laptop.

Scowling, Jou walked back across the room, threw himself down on his couch, crossed his arms, and pouted. After about five minutes, he had to force himself to keep from breaking into a victory smile as Seto sighed loudly, pushed his chair back from the desk, and headed over to him. The taller man sat down on the couch and pulled Jou back against him, moulding their bodies together. Jou tried to resist, pointedly staring at the wall, but couldn't help melting as Seto began placing kisses up and down his neck, feathering them over his sensitive skin. He shivered, biting back a low moan.

"If you keep that up, you won't be getting any more work done," he rasped.

Seto chuckled, causing the sound to reverberate through the Jou's body. "I'll make you a deal. If you pick up Mokuba and wear him out at the park, I'll leave here at six and treat you both to dinner. And..." His voice dropped seductively as he purposely ran his fingers across Jou's thigh. "Tonight, I'll make sure you won't even have the energy to _worry_ about Bakura and Mariku."

Jou gulped and nodded quickly. "Deal," he said, pulling out of his lover's grasp before Seto could continue his ministrations. Any further and they wouldn't be waiting until that night. He headed to the door, well aware of Seto's possessive gaze on his ass, and quickly closed it behind him, leaning against the wall to give his heart a chance to slow down. If Yami was anything like Seto, he suddenly felt a little sorry for Mutou Yuugi.

* * *

Please review!


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** Thank you so much for the reviews! I absolutely love receiving them, almost as much as I loved writing this chapter. I was really pleased to be able to bring in some R/B, and I promise that next chapter will have some more Malik (and a bit of Mariku) and S/J. You've probably noticed that Y/Y is in like every chapter, and there's a reason for that... they're my favourite, my OTP for Yu-Gi-Oh, and have been for roughly ten years now (I get the feeling I shouldn't be admitting to that on the internet, but oh well). I'll just assume that no one minds that. Enjoy the chapter!

* * *

It was _finally_ Saturday, and as he rolled over in bed, secure in the knowledge that he didn't have to jump up and rush around his room while trying to get ready, Yuugi found himself glad for that. The day before had been a complete disaster, as he'd reluctantly dragged himself to school and ended up spending the whole day trying to avoid Tenno Yami, who seemed to be determined that Yuugi was going to honour his agreement to spend time with the man. Ryou had appeared to be unusually tense as well, though he'd refused to explain why, and Malik was just a ball of nerves. By the time all three of them had returned to the Kame Game Shop, all anyone really wanted to do was go to bed. Both Ryou and Malik were currently camped out on his bedroom floor – an odd occurrence, as most sleepovers tended to happen at Ryou's, but a welcome one nevertheless.

"You awake, Yuugi?" Malik asked, having heard his friend's movement.

"No," Yuugi said into his pillow. He was still rather tired, although he was no longer sleepy. "Being awake would mean getting up, and I don't think I'm ready to do that yet."

"Ryou, how about you?"

There was no answer from the white-haired boy, and Yuugi pushed himself into a sitting position so that he could look in Ryou's direction without straining his neck, expecting that he'd see an empty set of blankets. Much to his surprise, Ryou was still in the room, sprawled out on top of his sleeping bag. He was fast asleep, wearing a borrowed set of pyjamas that were too big for Yuugi, and drooling a little. Normally, Ryou was always the first one up, so to see him still sleeping at nearly ten in the morning was alarming. Yuugi and Malik exchanged concerned looks.

"What do you think is wrong with him?" whispered Malik.

"I don't know. He's been acting strange ever since yesterday," said Yuugi, rubbing his eyes and muffling a yawn with his hand. A glint of gold caught his attention and he reached out to pick up the Puzzle so that he could place the cord around his neck. He hadn't yet told Malik or Ryou about his meeting with Tenno, mostly because if it weren't for Tenno stalking him the day before, he would have thought that it was all a weird dream. Maybe on some level, he was still hoping that it was.

"_He_ is awake and knows that you're talking about him," Ryou mumbled without opening his eyes. "Since you're both so curious, I guess I should tell you. My father was at the house when I got there yesterday – "

"Really?" Yuugi gasped.

"He was?" Malik sounded shocked.

" – and he brought a new wife home with him."

Dead silence. Malik propped himself up on his elbows and a mountain of pillows to gaze at Ryou in disbelief. Yuugi just stared, his mouth open as he tried to understand that. Ryou smiled grimly, apparently pleased that he had shocked the two of them, and rolled off of his sleeping bag. He stood up, picked up his brush, and began working through the tangles in his hair while waiting for his friends to overcome their surprise. It was Yuugi who recovered first.

"I can't believe it," he said at last. "Your _father_, Ryou. Wow."

"Her name is Samira and I don't know where she's from or where they met," he said, anticipating some of their questions. "We didn't exactly get the chance to sit down and have a long conversation. But she's very pretty, with red hair and green eyes, and she seems very sweet. A good match for my father," he went on, brushing harder. "It was all her idea to come to Japan to and tell me in person, you know. Otou-san was going to just drop my birthday gift in the mail and give me a call to let me know that he had decided to re-marry." The bitterness in his voice was overwhelming. "He wasn't even going to tell me in person. If it wasn't for someone I don't even know..."

"Ryou, stop," Malik said, gently laying a hand on Ryou's arm. He pulled the brush out of Ryou's hand and set it down on the ground. "You're going to end up bald at this rate."

Ryou just shook his head and leaned over, burying his face in Malik's shoulder and taking slow, deep breaths to keep from bursting into tears. Yuugi scrambled off of the bed and hurried to Ryou's side, offering support in the only way that he could. Malik wrapped an arm around both of them and laid his head on top of Ryou's. The three of them remained huddled together in the middle of the floor until a gentle knock came at the door. A moment later, Sugoroku poked his head in.

"I hate to interrupt, but one of your friends is here to see you, Yuugi," he said, breathing heavily. "He said that his name is Tenno Yami?"

Three heads popped up instantly. Yuugi turned a deep shade of red as Malik and Ryou, who seemed to have recovered from being upset, looked at him with considerable interest. Pointedly avoiding their eyes, Yuugi seriously considered asking his grandfather to make Tenno leave, but finally sighed and gave in; asking the man to intervene would mean having to explain to Sugoroku why he didn't want to see Tenno, and the last thing that he wanted was to make his grandfather upset.

"Okay, Jii-chan," he said, trying and failing to escape from Malik's grasp. "You can... um... let him know I'll be down in a few minutes." Sugoroku nodded and closed the door. The second that they heard his footsteps on the stairs, Yuugi began to squirm with all of his strength. Unfortunately, Malik was a lot stronger than he looked.

"Yami? Tenno Yami is visiting _you_?" said Malik incredulously, tightening his grip on Yuugi's waist. "Oh no you don't. We want to hear _all _the details."

"You'll think I'm nuts," Yuugi whined.

"You can tell us anything, Yuugi, you know that," Ryou said, looking curious.

Yuugi gave up and settled for pouting. "Okay, okay. After I solved the Millennium Puzzle, I think... Well, Tenno appeared. Here. In my room," he said.

Malik's eyebrows rose. "Yuugi..."

"I know. Just hear me out, okay? He told me that the Puzzle brought him here. I didn't really want to, but somehow we kind of ended up meeting for tea the next day, and he told me the story behind the Puzzle. Basically, it belonged to a Pharaoh back in Egypt, who was missing half of his soul... his hikari." Yuugi's fingers unconsciously tightened on the Puzzle. "He couldn't use the power of the Puzzle properly because of that missing hikari, so he agreed to be sacrificed so that he would be reborn in a time where his hikari existed." He stared intently at the floor and forced him to say the last part. "The Pharaoh's hikari is the only one who could solve the Millennium Puzzle. Tenno is the reincarnation of the Pharaoh, and he thinks that I'm his hikari and that he's my... my yami."

Another silence fell over the room as Malik and Ryou exchanged glances. Their first reaction was to think that Yuugi had been fed some extremely wild tales by Tenno, but... Ryou couldn't help remembering the hours that he had spent in the park with Bakura, and the way that Bakura had been able to remove the pain of his headache just through touch, as well as Yuugi's encounter with Yami, Seto, Bakura and Mariku in the park. As for Malik, he was thinking of Ishizu, his family's strong ties to Egypt, and the strange magic that had been known to dwell there, as well as the Pharaoh's tomb that his clan had once guarded so closely. Yuugi glanced up when neither of his friends spoke, and the three boys exchanged a long look.

"What have we gotten ourselves into?" Malik asked at last.

"I don't think Tenno is right," Yuugi said quickly. "I denied it, of course. Anyone could solve the Puzzle. But then he wanted to take the Puzzle away from me because it belongs to him. In return for letting me wear it, I have to help him find his real hikari. That means I have to spend time with him." He made a face to convey his displeasure at the thought. "It's crazy. Isn't it?"

Again, none of them spoke, not wanting to be the first one to admit that just maybe, it wasn't as crazy as they were all hoping. As if by some silent agreement, all three of them stood up and started getting ready for the day. Malik went to take a shower while Yuugi and Ryou got dressed; Ryou borrowed a pair of jeans and the most normal t-shirt that he could find in Yuugi's wardrobe. Yuugi was mindful of the fact that Tenno was waiting downstairs for him as he placed the Puzzle around his neck again once he was dressed. Part of him was tempted to just suck it up and _give_ the Puzzle to Tenno, but he had the feeling that Tenno was more stubborn than that.

"I don't suppose you'd like to come with me today," he ventured at last.

Ryou gave him a small, wicked grin in the mirror. "And deny you the experience of hanging around with the other half of your soul?" he teased.

"Shut up," Yuugi muttered, blushing again. He tossed a pillow in Ryou's direction and walked out of the room, realizing that he might as well face Tenno while Ryou and Malik weren't around to watch. Tenno was actually waiting in the shop, keeping Sugoroku company while the older man sorted through some new inventory that had come in the day before. Much to Yuugi's surprise, they were chatting about Duel Monsters, which was one of the newer, more popular games.

"Ah, there you are, Yuugi," Sugoroku said, glancing up when Yuugi entered the room. "I heard the shower and wondered if that was you."

"It was Malik," said Yuugi, who was very purposely not looking at Tenno. "You know what he's like when it comes to showers."

Sugoroku smiled. "Do you have boys have plans today?"

"I was hoping to make some." Tenno spoke before Yuugi could answer, forcing the shorter boy to acknowledge his presence. "Yuugi, I was thinking that you might want to come spend the day with me and a couple of my friends. I think that you know at least one of them. Jounouchi Katsuya?"

"Jou?" Yuugi squeaked before he could stop himself, instinctively taking a step towards Tenno. He hadn't seen his blond, lanky friend for some time, not since they had changed from middle school to high school, and he'd often missed him. There was a noticeable gap in their small group, and he had to admit, the thought of seeing Jou again was almost worth having to spend time with someone like Tenno. "You know him?"

"Kaiba Seto is my cousin, and Jou is his boyfriend," Tenno explained. "Friends of friends."

A thoughtful look passed over Sugoroku's face as he glanced between the two of them. "You go ahead, Yuugi. I won't have any problems working by myself in the shop today."

"Are you sure, Jii-chan?"

"Absolutely. I know that you'd like to see Jou again," he said with a warm smile. "Try to bring him around some time, okay? I'd like to see him again, too."

"I will. Thanks, Jii-chan." Yuugi walked over to the door and let Tenno out first, then waved to his grandfather and stepped out behind him. It was a fairly warm day, which meant that his casual t-shirt was enough to keep him warm. But as he fell into step beside Tenno, he couldn't quite stop a shiver from passing through his body when the taller boy smiled at him, and grimaced in an effort to hide it. He suspected that Tenno wasn't fooled and looked away when the smile turned into a smirk. A promise was a promise, but that didn't mean he had to like it. Or at least, that's what he was telling himself.

**GMA**

Ryou peeked over Malik's shoulder, watching as Yuugi and Tenno Yami walked away from the house side by side. He had to admit, the two of them looked good together. Yuugi was short, barely reaching four foot eight and a half inches, and Tenno couldn't have been over five foot even. Even their wild hairstyles were similar, though Tenno had more gold in his, and his hair was also tipped with crimson as opposed to violet. Tilting his head, Ryou fought back a smile when Yuugi glanced away, recognizing the look on his friend's face. That was the look Yuugi wore when he wanted to do something but was trying to pretend that he didn't. Interesting.

"Can you believe that?" Malik asked once Yuugi and Yami had turned a corner and disappeared from sight. He shook his head. "Yuugi went with him! Why didn't he just tell that Tenno guy where to go? The Puzzle is _his_. Jii-chan gave it to him and he solved it. Tenno can't take it away."

"He did promise," Ryou reminded him, picking up his bag. He folded the top over, latched it, and took hold of the strap so that he could securely hook it over his shoulder. "You know what Yuugi is like when he makes someone a promise. Anyway, Malik, I don't want to hang out here all afternoon without Yuugi, and I know that I can't hide from _them_ forever." From the front pocket of his bag, he took out his cell phone and held it up. "Otou-san actually sent me a text message to let me know that he and Samira-san are waiting for me to come home. I didn't even know that he _knew _my number."

Malik chuckled. "I guess it can surprise you, what parents know," he remarked.

"No kidding. I guess I'm going to go home now," Ryou sighed, his shoulders slumped. He dreaded the thought of facing his father and that woman again, but he couldn't avoid them for too much longer. Yuugi didn't have many clothes that would fit him, and what little Malik had usually couldn't be spared. "Do you want to come with me?"

"I was thinking about heading to the Museum to visit Nee-san," Malik admitted. "I haven't seen her for a couple of days and I really should check in with her."

"Oh, okay," Ryou nodded, downcast.

"Good luck," Malik said, patting him on the shoulder. His face was sympathetic. "If you really want me to come with you, I could. I can always visit Nee-san later on. I don't mind."

"No, go visit Ishizu-onee-san, I'll be alright," answered Ryou, mustering up a smile. "It's my father. How bad it can be?"

Famous last words, Ryou was discovering as he walked into his house. The walk to his house from the Kame Game Shop never took very long, but that day it was shorter than ever. In no time at all, he was walking up the front path. His house was largely silent when he entered, and for a moment, he thought that maybe he'd been fortunate enough to pick a time when both of them were out. He was dreaming about going upstairs and taking a long, hot bath when he heard footsteps and stiffened as his father came around the corner of the living room. To say that the man didn't look happy was an understatement. Ryou stared at him nervously and obeyed when Osamu silently beckoned him into the room. Wondering how this "talk" was going to go, he sat down in a chair across from the couch and placed his bag on the floor beside him, refusing to squirm even when Osamu simply stared at him for several minutes without speaking.

"I'm very disappointed in you, Ryou-kun," Osamu said at last. "Samira-chan was really looking forward to meeting you after all of the wonderful things I've told her about you, and that's how you react to her kindness? She was very upset yesterday, and kept asking if she had done something to offend you. I did my best to reassure her that she hadn't done anything, but I don't think my words had much effect. I thought you were more mature than that."

Ryou swallowed hard, biting back his original sharp retort, which was to ask how _else_ he was supposed to react to such news. It would be one of _those_ "talks", then. This was the way it had always been with his father, even before his mother had died. Bakura Emiko had possessed the unique ability to somehow make Osamu realize that he wasn't the only person whose thoughts and feelings mattered. It was a quality that Ryou had found himself lacking, which was why he bowed his head, staring at his knees as his father proceeded to launch into a lecture about being more polite. His hands stung from where he was digging his nails into his palms in an effort to keep quiet about what he was feeling, only because he knew that it would do no good whatsoever.

"I'm very sorry, Otou-san," he said quietly. The words burned as he forced them out. "I was just very... surprised, that's all. I didn't expect you to come home with... with a new wife."

"Well, I suppose that can be expected," Osamu said, still frowning slightly. "But I'd like you to apologize to Samira-chan."

"I will." Even if it his father hadn't required it of him, he would have done so, anyway. Alienating someone who was going to be such a big part of Osamu's life would have been foolish. His father had a hard enough head as it was without making things deliberately worse. "Where is she?"

"She's gone to do some grocery shopping, but she should be back very soon." Osamu stood up, picking up a medium-sized, square container that was covered with brown paper. He held it out. "I shouldn't be giving this to you, and believe me, I was tempted to toss it away after your behaviour two days ago, but Samira-chan convinced me that since it was your birthday, you still deserved to have it. Here, Ryou-kun. Happy Birthday."

A shiver went down Ryou's spine when he took the package, and he blinked in surprise at the strange feeling emanating from the box. Deeply curious, he tore off the brown paper and opened the cardboard box, half-expecting some weird little trinket. Inside, nestled on several pieces of white tissue paper, was an odd-looking piece of jewellery. Made from pure gold, the main part was a circle with an upside down triangle inside. Five razor-sharp cones hung from the outside of the circle. Tentatively, he lightly stroked the edge of one of the cones, realizing that the symbol on the triangle matched the symbol on the Millennium Puzzle.

"What is it, Otou-san?" he asked, forgetting his anger towards his father temporarily in lieu of his fascination.

Osamu smiled in satisfaction. "I was told that it's called the Millennium Ring. Not much more is known about its history, but that alone is interesting. I came across a stall in one of the Egyptian towns I was visiting that had a lot of older jewellery for sale. Originally, I was searching for a piece for Samira-chan to celebrate our six month anniversary, but the man who owned the stall seemed to feel very strongly that I should buy this for you. I figured it was the sort of necklace that a boy could wear, don't you think?"

"Yeah," Ryou said softly, his mind flashing back to the park, when Bakura had scolded him for not having the "Ring" yet. Was this the "Ring" that Bakura had meant? He picked it up by the slender brown cord that was attached to the top of the circle, intending to slip it around his neck, and was startled when someone screamed. The Millennium Ring slid from his hands and landed in the box as both he and Osamu turned to see Samira standing in the doorway.

"Samira-chan, what's wrong?" Osamu asked, approaching his wife quickly.

"Darling, where did you get that?" Samira demanded, sagging against him. "That is... that is... that thing is evil!"

His father looked astonished. "Come now, Samira-chan, it's just a piece of jewellery. I purchased it for Ryou-kun's birthday. What do you mean, it's _evil_?"

"Get away from it, Ryou-kun," ordered Samira, ignoring Osamu as though he hadn't spoken. She kept her eyes on the Millennium Ring, like she expected it to jump up and attack. "If you put that around your neck, grave danger will befall you. Had I known that your father had purchased_ that_ for you, I wouldn't have encouraged him to give it to you. I would have destroyed it instead. Quickly! Place it on the ground and step away from it. We'll drop it over the side of a bridge."

Ryou looked at her blankly and then glanced at his father, wondering just how_ sane_ Samira was if she was under the impression that a piece of jewellery could be dangerous. His father was frowning in confusion, and as he watched, Osamu wrapped an arm around Samira's shoulders and physically turned her away from Ryou so that they could speak in low whispers. Left to his own devices, Ryou picked the Ring up again, liking the way the cool gold felt against his fingers. It was heavier than he had expected, but the weight was solid. He stood up and placed the box on his chair, keeping the Ring pinned against his side. Samira and Osamu were deep into a heated, whispered conversation, and he was able to slip by them and hurry up the stairs to his bedroom with notice.

"Dangerous... give me a break," he mumbled, pushing the door closed. "I wonder what kind of woman Otou-san's gotten involved with this time?" Shaking his head, he turned to his mirror and placed the Millennium Ring around his neck.

The instant the Ring made contact with his chest, a blinding flash lit the room, so bright that Ryou cried out and threw his hands over his eyes, and pain shot through his body. The golden necklace grew warm against his chest, and when he lowered his hand and tried to touch it, the heat made him wince. For a moment, the pain seemed to be overwhelming, but when the brilliant light vanished the pain did as well, and he was able to take deep breaths. His muscles ached, and all of a sudden, he felt extremely tired.

Slowly, he opened his eyes, blinking past the black spots that now danced in front of his vision. The intense burning of the Millennium Ring had lessened into an almost pleasant heat against his chest, which told him that the light and pain had not been imagined. That was confirmed when, in the mirror, he saw another boy standing over his shoulder, someone with wild white hair, tanned skin, and wild eyes that many a man had described as "evil".

"T-Takahashi!" Ryou sputtered in shock, spinning around. Sure enough, Takahashi Bakura was now standing right behind him. "What... How did you get into my bedroom?"

Bakura didn't answer for a moment; his attention was elsewhere. Almost hesitantly, he reached out and touched the Millennium Ring, tracing the line of the gold lightly. His expression grew softer, and he looked at Ryou. "I knew it would be you."

"Me what?" Ryou asked, bewildered. "What are you..."

"Ryou-kun? Can I come in? Listen, I wanted to explain to you about – " There was a knock on the door, which hadn't actually been closed all of the way, and it swung open, revealing Samira. Whatever else she had been about to say was cut off abruptly when she saw Ryou and Bakura. Her eyes went wide, and she gasped in terror. "_You_!"

"Me," said Bakura with a smirk. "Don't worry, I'll take good care of what's _mine_." A flick of his fingers slammed the door shut just as Samira started to launch herself forward. The lock slid into place with a faint _click_. Almost immediately, Samira began pounding frantically on the door.

"Ryou-kun! Ryou-kun! Don't listen to anything he says. He's a thief! A tomb robber!" she screamed. "He can't be trusted. He's only interested in power, and he'll destroy you. Ryou-kun!"

"What a pest," Bakura muttered, striding over to the window. He pushed the curtains aside and snapped the window up easily so that he could take a good look outside. There was a large tree just outside of Ryou's window, and Malik had often joked that Ryou would be able to escape that way if he ever needed to. Ryou had never taken him seriously, but when he saw the look on Bakura's face when the older boy turned around, he realized that Malik wasn't the only one who thought that way.

"Oh, no..." he said, backing away. "You can't be serious."

"You can stay or you can come, I won't force you," Bakura said coldly. With practiced ease, he flung one leg outside and straddled the windowsill, his dark, reddish brown eyes burning a hole through Ryou. "It's up to you, Rabbit. But you don't belong here, and you've only got one chance to make your choice."

He looked at the door, which was actually vibrating with the force of Samira's fists. She was still screaming, and now he could hear the sounds of his father running up the stairs and demanding to know what was wrong with her. In no time, he would be at the door as well, and Osamu would likely have the strength to take it down. Several thoughts ran through his mind at once. What was there to stay for? Ryou would never be a part of the new family that Osamu was trying to create. Bakura was right; he didn't belong here. Maybe his place wasn't with Bakura, but he suspected that he would be better off with the older teen. His eyes met Bakura's, and he nodded.

"I'm coming."

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Please review!


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** Wow, so many reviews! You guys rock, seriously. I was asked if this would turn into an abuse story between Bakura and Ryou, and the answer is no! Bakura is not that kind of boy, at least in this story. They'll have their fair share of problems, but nothing like that. Actually, there's no R/B in this chapter (sorry) but I was able to put some Malik in. I had so much fun writing his part, which surprised me, because he's the one I'm not used to writing. But oh, it was fun! Enjoy, everyone!

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To say that things were awkward between Yuugi and Tenno would have been an understatement. Yuugi couldn't help feeling nervous about being around Tenno, and for that reason, he remained mostly silent on the walk to the Kaiba mansion, responding to Tenno with one word answers or grunts. Tenno seemed to understand that Yuugi wasn't in the mood to chat and eventually left off, leading the way without speaking and allowing Yuugi to trail behind and glare at the back of Tenno's head. What was he supposed to say? He didn't know anything about Tenno Yami, and quite honestly, he wasn't completely sure that he wanted to. There was something about the way that Tenno looked at him that made him feel uneasy.

After all, he still couldn't figure out why Tenno hadn't just taken the Millennium Puzzle away from him. Why was he allowing Yuugi to keep it? Why did he want to spend time with Yuugi? Was he still stuck on thinking that Yuugi was his hikari? Yuugi's violet eyes narrowed slightly and he frowned, his thumb idly trailing over the sharp corner of the Millennium Puzzle. If that was the truth, then Tenno was even more crazy (and annoying) than he had thought, and he would definitely have to come up with a way to dissuade the older boy from thinking that way.

"Here we are, Little One," said Tenno, breaking the silence as he paused in front of a massive set of iron gates. He stepped up to the bars and reached out, pressing a red button on a small gray box. The box crackled with static, and Tenno leaned down and spoke into it quietly. A moment later, the gates cranked open.

"Don't call me that," Yuugi mumbled, following Tenno up the pathway towards the mansion. It was the biggest place he'd ever seen, larger even than the Domino Museum, where his grandfather sometimes worked. As Tenno walked towards the front door, Yuugi paused and glanced up at the mansion, feeling a little overwhelmed. Just how many people lived in this massive place? Was Jou really there, or was this some trick of Tenno's?

"Yuugi!" Tenno called out. "Are you coming?"

Yuugi blinked, startled, and realized that Tenno had entered the house and waiting for him with the door still open. He blushed and hurried forward, entering the hall bas Tenno closed the door and doing his best to ignore the knowing smirk he was receiving. The mansion was even more wonderful on the inside, with evidence of expensive taste everywhere he looked. Just the contents of one room would probably sell for enough money to keep him and his grandfather living comfortably for a while year. Everyone knew that Kaiba Seto had a lot of money, but Yuugi had never imagined that one person could have so much.

"Yami!" a happy voice shouted, pulling Yuugi out of his thoughts. The shout was followed by a black and red blur that bolted into the hall and collided with Tenno, who stumbled backwards against the wall and laughed.

"Hello, Mokuba-kun," he greeted, patting the boy on his head.

Kaiba Mokuba glanced up with a bright grin and adoring eyes. At twelve years old, he already towered over his cousin by a good three inches, but that didn't seem to bother either of them. Yuugi watched with no small amount of curiosity as Mokuba began talking to Tenno in a rush about a Duel Monsters Tournament that Industrial Illusions had been working on setting up for the past year. His grandfather did a little business with Kaiba Corp now and then, so he'd often wondered about the Kaiba family. Rumour had it that Kaiba Seto was going to kick ass at the tournament, but he couldn't remember hearing much about the youngest Kaiba. Apparently the stories about how hard Seto worked to keep his little brother out of the limelight were all true.

"Oh, sorry," Mokuba said, cutting himself off suddenly and glancing in Yuugi's direction. "I didn't see you there. I'm Kaiba Mokuba. You must be Mutou Yuugi. It's very nice to meet you."

"You too," Yuugi said with a smile, shaking Mokuba's hand. He actually had to glance up into Mokuba's brown eyes, though he refused to let on that it annoyed him. _Everyone_ was taller than Yuugi, even Tenno, and that was something that he had long since gotten used to.

"Are you participating in the tournament?" asked Mokuba, looking curious. "I can't imagine Yami's hi - mmph!"

Mokuba thrashed, squeaking in protest behind the strong hand that Tenno had clamped over his mouth. Tenno's other hand was wrapped around Mokuba's chest, pinning the boy's arms down so that he couldn't strike out, though that did nothing to stop him from kicking. Yuugi raised his eyebrows and looked between the two of them with open amusement, though he did wonder what Mokuba had been about to say. From the look on his face as he worked to restrain his cousin, Tenno appeared to be rather nervous, and that was unusual; Tenno had the tendency to exude confidence the way most people did nerves.

"Unhand my brother, cousin," said a new voice. "If you suffocate him, you won't need to worry about the Tournament because you won't be around to see it."

"Nii-sama!" Mokuba's voice was muffled, but the excitement was clear. Kaiba Seto smiled at his little brother, warmth shining from blue eyes that could – and did – become colder than ice. He was dressed simply for once in a pair of black slacks and a blue shirt that made the color of his eyes even more noticeable.

"A stick in the mud as always, Seto," Tenno muttered, reluctantly releasing Mokuba, who obviously hadn't minded the rough treatment too much, as he made no move to leave his cousin's side.

Stepping forward, Yuugi was about to introduce himself to Seto, whom he'd never officially met before, when an arm slid around his neck out of nowhere, slamming him back against a tall, lean body in a headlock. Yuugi yelped and squirmed, trying to free himself as the sound of Jounouchi Katsuya laughter rang in his ears. The headlock had been Jou's favourite trick since elementary school, and fortunately, Yuugi and Ryou had long since learned how to free themselves. A simple elbow, jabbed straight back into Jou's midsection, had the blonde doubling over with a pained yelp, allowing Yuugi to escape. He took several steps forward and to the side, almost but not quite hiding behind Tenno and Mokuba, just in case Jou got any more ideas.

"Shit, I was hoping you'd forgotten about that," Jou gasped, rubbing his side gingerly. There had been a time when his side had been black and blue from Yuugi and Ryou, both of whom possessed extremely pointy elbows, before Jou had learned that tackling Malik was a lot more fun. Malik was always interested in a mock fight, and Jou never had to hold back around him.

"If you want to fight, you know the rules. Track down Malik," said Yuugi sweetly, knowing exactly what Jou had been thinking. Carefully, he straightened the Millennium Puzzle, not noticing the way that Seto's eyes snapped to the object and studied both it and Yuugi keenly.

Jou grumbled and finally straightened up. "I might have to take him up on that. You and Ryou never did play fair."

Yuugi shot his friend an amused look. Jou could hardly talk about fair when he towered over all of his friends by a good foot, sometimes two. "Are you going to behave?"

A sneer was the only answer he got, followed by Jou grabbing his arm and physically tugging him out from behind Tenno and Mokuba. He hauled the willing Yuugi deeper into the mansion, towards the games room that had been specifically designed for him by Seto. Mokuba, guessing where they were headed, let out a yelp of excitement and raced after the two of them. It had been some time since he'd been able to play against anyone except for Jou, who often let him win, or Seto, who never let him win, or Tenno, who always just won, and he was looking forward to having a new challenger.

"That's him?" Seto spoke in a low voice meant for his cousin's ear alone as the two of them followed Yuugi, Jou, and Mokuba at a slower pace.

Tenno nodded. "That's him," he confirmed, his crimson eyes sparkling. "He was most reluctant to come along today. It was fortunate that I arrived at his family's game shop when his grandfather was around. I think he didn't want to risk turning me away in case his grandfather grew curious about why he didn't want to be around me."

"That sounds very like you," said Seto, grudgingly respectful of his cousin's methods. "Ever since you mentioned his name, Jou has been looking forward to seeing him again. I imagine that helped."

"It did. He was very receptive to the idea once I mentioned Jou's name." Tenno smirked.

Seto rolled his eyes. "Have you gotten any further in convincing him?"

"No," he admitted.

They arrived in the doorway of the games room and looked over the scene. Jou was sitting on the couch, nearly hysterical with laughter. Mokuba was staring with a dropped jaw at the television screen, which had the image of two fighting characters on the screen. One, tall and bulky with muscles, was unconscious on the ground and the other, short and slender, was dancing around in a circle. The timer in the corner was flashing a new record of twenty-three seconds. Yuugi wore a sheepish smile as he placed the controller he had been holding back on the ground.

"Sorry?" he offered meekly.

"No fair," Mokuba complained. He shook his head, managing to sound disgusted and admiring all at once. "You really _are_ just like Yami. He beats me just as fast as you do."

"Oh really?" Violet eyes glanced up, capturing the crimson ones from across the room. Yuugi smiled slowly, recognizing the challenging glint that was being directed at him. A surge of excitement flashed through him at the thought of having found an opponent who might be able to give him an actual battle. At last, here was something that he _did_ understand. "Care to show me how good you are?"

"With pleasure, Little One," purred Tenno, grinning broadly. "With pleasure."

**GMA**

The day was clear and bright, with not a cloud in the sky. Perfect for riding a motorcycle if you happened to be in the possession of one. Not so perfect if you were Malik, who couldn't help staring with open jealousy at the man who had just paused at the intersection in front of Domino Museum for a red light. He'd wanted a motorcycle for as long as he could remember, but Ishizu had put her foot down and refused to help him get one, saying that she didn't want to have any part in helping him "court death". Considering that she also insisted that he wait until he was out of school to get a job, that meant he was stuck in an endless and exasperating phase of motorcycle worship from afar.

He glanced once more in the direction of the motorcycle and found his eyes connecting with a set of dark, indigo-colored eyes. Yamada Mariku had flipped up the visor on his helmet while Malik wasn't looking, and now he winked in Malik's direction. Malik sputtered and quickly turned his back on the other man, feeling his cheeks flame. Laughter and the sound of a revving motorcycle followed him all the way up the stairs of the museum, and although he wanted to turn around and see if Mariku was still staring, he forced himself to open the door and walk inside without looking back.

The Domino City Museum was actually fairly large, with many exhibits. Ishizu's specialty was the Egyptian exhibit, as she had special contacts in Egypt that often gave the museum an edge, and her office was located near the back, so that she could keep an eye on the displays that were often lent in her name. She usually didn't like it when Malik came to visit her here, so for the most part, he made it a point to stay away. However, Ishizu appreciated it even less if more than a couple of days went by without her being able to see that he was physically healthy, so he figured a visit was worthwhile. He planned to stay for a few minutes and make sure that _she_ was still in one piece and then head out for the day. Yuugi had told both he and Ryou that morning that they could stay the night again, and as soon as he swung by the apartment and picked up some clothes, he planned to head back to the Kame Game Shop.

A few people glanced up at him as he made his way back towards Ishizu's office, but no one challenged him. Malik knocked on her door and listened, waiting for her reply. When none came, he tried the knob and found that she'd left it unlocked, which meant that she couldn't have been too far away. Ishizu was known for locking her door whenever she wasn't around to keep snoopers out, so he didn't feel too badly about pushing the door open and strolling in. She had a fairly good sized office, with a comfortable couch along the right wall and a desk that was piled high with paperwork. He sat down in her chair and leaned back, noticing that she'd shut her computer down, and glanced at the papers on her desk. Once, she had made him promise that he would never look through her things, but he couldn't help it if she just _happened_ to leave things out for him to see.

His eyebrows shot up when he spotted the rectangular box, half-hidden under a few files. Normally he would have left it alone, but he could just make out the name "Ishtar" written in unfamiliar handwriting across the top. Had someone sent her flowers? The box was the right shape, and it would be just like Ishizu to toss the box on her desk without tending to the flowers inside. Malik smirked and picked up the box, freeing it with a quick, careful tug. He was already thinking about how he would tease her when he realized two things. One, the box was rather light for flowers, and two, the name on top actually said "Malik Ishtar".

"Nee-san, what are you playing at?" he muttered, immediately prying the top off. It came off easily. Inside was a long, slender gold rod that ended in a sharp point, with a round, circular piece attached to the top. Two wings stuck out from either side of the orb, and the same eye symbol that decorated Yuugi's Millennium Puzzle had been stencilled onto the front. Malik stared down at the rod, mesmerized. It felt familiar, even though he was pretty sure that he'd never seen it before. The symbol, though, that rang a bell. He was almost positive that he recalled seeing it somewhere besides the Puzzle. But where?

"What are you doing in here?"

Malik jumped and lifted his head, staring at the man who was standing in the doorway. It was a testament to how dazed he felt that he hadn't even heard the man approaching. "This is my sister's office," he said blankly. "I'm here to see her."

The man frowned suspiciously, tugging at his black suit jacket. He had greying hair that fell into his eyes and a wide gray moustache. His eyes were small and beady. "Your sister is Isis?" he asked doubtfully. "I didn't know she had a brother."

"She does," Malik said. "Isis" was the name that Ishizu used when it came to the outside world. She had begun using the name in Egypt after they had been kicked out of the clan, and she'd continued when they came to Japan. As far as Malik knew, the only people who were aware that Isis and Ishizu were one and the same were Malik and his friends. Even their father wasn't aware. He knew that Ishizu didn't really want people to know that she had a sibling, and regretted saying anything at all. "I was going to meet her here, but now I see that she's not around, so I'll be going." He placed the lid back on the box and stood up.

"Hang on. What's that you've got in your hands?" the man demanded. His hand reached into the pocket of his black slacks and pulled out a sleek phone. "I don't think you're Isis-sama's brother at all. I think you came snooping around to steal something and you've been caught. I'm calling security."

Just as the man started to dial a number into his phone, Malik snapped into action. He bounded out from behind the desk and launched an easy kick at the man's knees that sent him sprawling to the floor with a pained yell. Malik leapt over him and raced down the hallway, ignoring the confused shouting that was going on behind him. It wasn't all that hard to get away; all he had to do was slow down once he was out in the main part of the museum, and he could walk right by the security personnel that were running towards the back offices. Carefully, he tucked the box underneath his arm and sauntered calmly out the front doors, knowing that once Ishizu heard about the mess he'd made, she'd want his hide.

"Oh, well. At least I got something out of it," he muttered, tapping his fingers on the box thoughtfully. What was the significance of the object inside? Who had written his name across the top of the box and why? Had Ishizu meant to give it to him, or had it been given to her so that she would pass it on? One thing was sure, she likely hadn't been expecting him to show up today, or for him to take it. Honestly, he hadn't consciously planned on removing it from her office, but he'd been acting without really thinking about it.

Knowing that Ishizu would probably go easier on him if he fessed up before she got to the museum and was fed a bunch of wild tales, he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and dialled her number. Instead of her actually answering the phone, or the call going to voicemail like he'd hoped, it just rang endlessly. Malik groaned and ended the call with a roll of his eyes as he stepped off of the curb. Sometimes his sister could drive him crazy. He would never understand how she could see through him in an instant, but somehow couldn't remember to empty out her voicemail inbox for anything.

It began to rain as he neared his home, but Malik didn't mind. After years of living underground and never having the chance to experience things like rain or snow, he loved it. Ishizu had always called him crazy, and even Yuugi and Ryou thought he was a little strange, but he was used to that. After all, what fun was life if you were perfectly normal? He smirked to himself and picked up the pace as the light changed colors, sending a warning glare towards a man who was eyeing the box he was carrying just a little too closely. Normally, Malik wouldn't have minded having some fun with people who were stupid enough to think that they could steal from him, but in this case he wasn't inclined to risk the item in the box, even if he was certain that he wouldn't lose. Even though he had only come across the rod minutes before, he already felt that it was far too precious to risk having anything happen to it.

The apartment that his family shared was on a decent, middle class street thanks to Ishizu. They lived on the fifth floor of a seven-floor building that was well tended to, in an apartment that was big enough for each of them to have their own room, however small said rooms might be. However, even a three bedroom apartment wasn't big enough when his father started drinking. Sometimes Malik thought that his father had never been happy in his life, and that had only gotten worse since the clan had kicked them out. Now, Hafiz Ishtar spent his days drinking and doing a little "work" here and there. What exactly he did for work, Malik wasn't sure; unlike he and Ishizu, his father had never bothered to learn the skills necessary to adapt to life on the surface, and spent his days in a sensory overloaded haze that was dulled with the use of alcohol. Any money Hafiz earned was spent before Malik or Ishizu ever saw it.

Before he put his keys into the lock, Malik put his ear to the door and listened. If he had heard anything, he would've turned and left rather than spark a confrontation. It wasn't hard to borrow clothing from Ryou, even if his white-haired friend did have a poor sense of fashion. No sounds came from inside the apartment, however, and that plus the fact that it was broad daylight made him feel safe enough to unlock the door and push it open. He only realized his mistake when the strong scent of rice and chicken hit him in the face, and he looked up to see a tall, half-naked woman standing at the rarely used stove, poking at something with a spoon. She turned, looking startled, when he opened the door and promptly screamed.

"Who are you?" she shouted. "What the fuck are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question," Malik began, looking away as she tried to tug her shirt down over her lower half. He didn't get the chance to finish his sentence, as he swallowed his words when he saw his father lumbering out of the hallway. Hafiz's light brown hair was a mess, and his deep blue eyes – a perfect match for Ishizu's – were wild. The strong scent of alcohol permeated the air as he stepped forward, moving in between Malik and the woman.

"What the fuck did you do?" he growled, glaring at Malik. "Fucking pervert. Did you try to touch her?"

Malik's eyes widened and he backed away a step, glancing at the door. Could he make it before his father got angry enough to attack him? "No!"

"Don't fucking lie to me!" Hafiz leapt at him, crashing into Malik with enough force to send both of them toppling over. Malik hit the ground with a cry and rolled over slowly, feeling a heavy pain in the back of his head as his father sprang to his feet, surprisingly nimble for someone who had been hitting the bottle. A groan of pain escaped Malik as a boot caught him just below the ribs.

"Stop! Stop! You're going to kill him. He didn't do anything. He just surprised me. Stop it!" The woman was screaming at Hafiz, but it wasn't doing any good. He was immune to her cries as he leaned over Malik, a crazed glint in his eyes, and kicked his son for a second time. Though he held no weapon, his fists were more than good enough; there was no doubt in Malik's mind that his father could – and would, if provoked – kill him with his hands alone.

Later, he would insist that's why he reached for the box, which had fallen from his hands when he hit the ground, even though he had never fought back against his father in his life. A weapon was what he wanted, not protection. The lid popped off at the slightest touch and the rod rolled out. Hafiz pulled back sharply when he saw it, and a strangled gasp leapt from his throat as his eyes darted from Malik to the rod. He started to lunge forward, hand outstretched to grab the rod, but Malik was closer and moved faster. His fingers curled around the solid stem first.

Heat bubbled up through the metal, running up Malik's arms. He cried out at the feeling of his fingertips burning and tried to drop the rod, but he found he couldn't let go. Hafiz, watching his struggle, began to laugh uproariously, clutching at his stomach for support. The woman shot them a confused, panicked look and ran out of the apartment without even bothering to find her panties or skirt. Just as she slammed the door behind them, a brilliant flash lit up the room. Malik shielded his eyes and tensed, knowing that his father would see this as the perfect chance to come at him and cause more damage when he couldn't see the blows coming. He waited for the beating to start, for the fists and feet to strike his already sore body, but it never happened. Slowly, half fearing what would happen if he dared to look, he opened his eyes.

Yamada Mariku was standing over him, holding his father by the throat.

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Please review!


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** Thank you so much for all of the reviews. A lot of you make me laugh when I get them. As per the request from someone, I was able to fit in some R/B and M/M in this chapter. Amazingly, I realized after the fact that there was no Y/Y, but it was necessary in order to bring everyone together. This chapter is where the real action starts... and it only took me what, eight chapters? Enjoy!

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Feeling downcast as he tried his best not to think about his father or Samira, Ryou silently trailed behind Bakura as the taller boy strode down the sidewalk. Unlike most people, Bakura didn't even have to worry about whether or not someone would move. Strangers, male and female alike, took one look at the sour, pissed off expression on his face and leaped out of his way. Most of them also treated Ryou to a sympathetic look when they realized that he was actually following Bakura, which was sweet, but as much as Ryou appreciated the gesture, it wasn't doing anything to help with the headache that was threatening to turn into a full-on migraine. He couldn't understand it. Normally he experienced a migraine once or twice a month, but having two in just a few days was nearly unheard of.

Gingerly, he touched the Ring that was still hanging around his neck, wondering if that had something to do with it. The metal was cool to the touch and failed to warm even under the pressure of his fingertips – definitely not normal. Although he was confused by everything that had happened in the past hour, he didn't dare ask Bakura any questions. Not when the older boy looked like he would attack the first person who had the nerve to speak to him. Knowing that it was safer to remain silent, Ryou sighed and lowered his head, putting all of his focus on putting one foot in front of the other when all he really wanted to do was lie down on the sidewalk and fall asleep. He was so preoccupied with walking that he failed to notice that Bakura had stopped and was looking around.

Bakura swore under his breath when Ryou crashed into him and spun quickly, fully intending to tear a strip off of the younger boy. Ryou stumbled backwards and managed to catch his balance before he fell on his ass. One glance at the expression of impending doom on Bakura's face and he quickly looked down, wincing as he waited to be scolded for not paying more attention to where he was going. He was completely unprepared for the firm fingers that grasped his chin and pulled his head up, forcing their eyes to meet. Blinking, he squinted in Bakura's direction, trying to see the past the dark spots that danced in front of his eyes.

"When was the last time you ate?" Bakura asked finally.

"What?" It was a struggle to focus long enough to listen to Bakura impatiently repeat his question. He rubbed one of his eyes and shrugged, trying hard to think. Honestly, he hadn't slept very well the night before, but he didn't understand why missing one night's sleep would make him so exhausted. When _was _the last time he'd eaten? Yuugi's grandfather had served them dinner the night before, but Ryou had mostly picked through it without eating, so... "Um, I don't know. Yesterday morning, maybe?"

Heaving an annoyed sigh, Bakura released Ryou's chin to grip his wrist instead. "Come on, Rabbit. If you faint on me, I swear I'm going to leave you in the middle of the street. Got it?"

"Yes," Ryou mumbled, falling into step beside him. He couldn't help noticing that Bakura seemed to be walking more slowly, though he had to wonder whether that was just a hallucination. Bakura led him to the nearest cafe that had an outdoor eating area set up and shoved him into a chair. It felt good to sit down, and Ryou went a step further by resting his head on the table and closing his eyes. It had a very long day, and it wasn't even 3:00pm yet.

"Here." The sharp word was accompanied by something being slammed down on the table. Ryou forced his eyes open and found himself staring at a tall glass filled with a bright red liquid as Bakura slid into the seat across from him with a drink of his own. "Drink that. It will help you."

Ryou could have argued, but that would have taken more energy than he had to spare at the moment. Weakly, he craned his head up just enough so that he could sip from the straw. The strong taste of strawberries and sugar flooded his tongue, accompanied by something bitter that he couldn't quite identify. It worked, though. Little by little, he felt his strength slowly beginning to return as the headache receded. He wasn't normally much of a sugar person - he was much more interested in salty treats - but he had to admit that it was helping. By the time the glass was half empty, he was able to lift his head off of the table and sit up straight without feeling too dizzy. Only then did he notice that his hair had narrowly missed landing in a splotch of tomato sauce and he made a face as he grabbed the ends of his white hair, quickly inspecting it for any sign of orange sauce.

"You're such a girl," Bakura said. His voice wasn't cruel, though. More amazed. "I can't believe that _you're_ my hikari."

"Hikari?" Dropping his hair, Ryou gave Bakura his full attention when he realized that he was finally going to get some answers. "What do you mean?"

"You've spoken to your little friend, haven't you?" he replied, leaning back in the chair. "I'm sure you must have, and no doubt he's given you every detail of what happened. All Yami's been able to talk about for the past week is that little shrimp. From what I hear, you guys are like this." He crossed his fingers.

"Well, yes, I did talk to Yuugi," Ryou said uncertainly. The situation had been bizarre enough when Yuugi was the only one who had encountered it. Now it was just getting outright creepy, and he couldn't help wondering how Malik was fairing. Hopefully better than he was. "He mentioned a talk that he'd had with Tenno-san. Something about the Millennium items and a Pharaoh who couldn't use his power without the other half of his soul... his light..."

"You got it." Bakura gave a sharp nod and tossed back the remaining amber liquid that had been in his glass. "Three thousand years ago, I was a Tomb Robber, the greatest in Egypt, and I stole the Millennium Ring. It bonded to me, which meant that I was its destined owner. Unfortunately, I still couldn't access all of its power." He gritted his teeth. "My soul was missing the balance. The shadows would have corrupted me and stolen my mind. And what fun is achieving world domination if you're too insane to enjoy it? So when the Pharaoh approached me, I agreed to allow myself to be sacrificed on the grounds that when I was reborn, I would be in a time and place where I could find the other half of my soul. The lighter half, my hikari, who would ground me when I used the power of the shadows." A smirk crossed his face. "Congratulations, Rabbit. You've won the jackpot."

"My name is Ryou," Ryou mumbled, too dazed to say anything else. "Not Rabbit."

"What makes you think I care?" Bakura shot back, rolling his eyes. "I have a lot of other names I could call you if you'd prefer one of those."

"No, I'm good," Ryou said hastily, finishing off the last of the red drink. He could only imagine what sorts of names that Bakura would be capable of coming up with. When all was said and done, there were a lot worse nicknames than "Rabbit". "What if I don't want to be your hikari?"

"Too bad. It's not something that you get to choose. Believe me, I tried," said Bakura. He eyed the Millennium Ring around Ryou's neck as a smirk flashed across his face. "The Millennium Ring has been waiting for you for three thousand years. Now that it's found you, it won't be letting go anytime soon. It technically belongs to you now, and as long as you wear it, I can access all of its powers."

For some reason, the idea of Bakura having so much power made Ryou nervous. "So all I would have to do is take it off and you wouldn't be able to use it?" he asked.

The older boy sat up straight and scowled. "Don't ever take the Ring off," he warned. "If I catch you without it, you'll be sorry, understand? And besides, that's not how it works. We're two halves of one soul, Rabbit. A bond was forged between the two of us when you – the hikari – slipped the Ring on and it summoned me – your yami – to your side. That bond will only get stronger the more time we spend together, which means that I'll have access to more of the Millennium Ring's power." He rolled his eyes again. "It's _never_ going to go away, even if I left you right now and never spoke to you again. Which, believe me, I am considering."

"Wait." A look of horror had crossed Ryou's face. "You mean... I'm _stuck _with you? Forever?"

Bakura smirked. "For better or worse, Rabbit. You're _mine_."

**GMA**

Feeling as though he had somehow stumbled into an alternate universe, Malik watched in stunned amazement as Yamada Mariku's hand slowly tightened on Hafiz's throat, deliberately crushing his windpipe. Hafiz sputtered and choked, his legs kicking out as his fingers weakly grasped at Mariku's hand in an effort to escape. Dark eyes glittering with poorly concealed amusement, Mariku smirked and leaned forward, forcing Hafiz to his knees. It seemed as though he was going to kill Hafiz, until Malik managed to push himself into a sitting position. Only then did Mariku glance down at the younger boy, roll his eyes, and reluctantly release Hafiz, who crumpled onto his side and gasped for breath as he glowered hatefully up at Mariku. Fortunately, he lacked the ability to speak, which was likely the only thing that saved his life at that moment.

"What the... where the fuck did you come from?" Malik demanded, finally snapping out of his daze when Mariku looked at him. Warily, never taking his eyes off of Mariku, he got his arms underneath his body and started to rise. Halfway up, he froze, caught off guard by a blinding pain that flashed through his left side. His knees buckled. A strong arm wrapped around his shoulders and kept him from falling back to the floor. With a gentleness he didn't know Mariku could possess, the older boy pulled him to his feet and kept him standing, all the while levelling a dangerous look in Hafiz's direction.

"You're hurt?" he asked, trailing one hand down Malik's spine.

"I'm fine," said Malik, fighting back a shiver and forcing himself to move a couple steps away from Mariku. The pain in his side had dulled to a mostly manageable level, though he dreaded the thought of having to bend over or sit. He looked at his father but made no move to help the man up as he spoke to Mariku. "What are you doing here?" he repeated.

"You called me," said Mariku, as though it was perfectly obvious. "You're my hikari. I'm your yami. You touched the Millennium Rod. It summoned me to your side."

The Millennium Rod. Like someone had flipped a switch on in his brain, suddenly, Malik could remember where he had seen that symbol before. He staggered back a step, eyes wide as he stared down at the Rod. To be perfectly honest, for most of his life, Malik hadn't even been aware of what it was his clan was protecting. The only thing that he knew for sure was that the items were incredibly valuable and dangerous because they had belonged to the lost Pharaoh, and for that reason, only tomb keepers who had reached a certain age were permitted to know exactly what they were guarding. His family had been kicked out before Malik had gotten old enough for the ceremony. Being that she was several years old, Ishizu had known, but she'd done her best to keep that part of their life away from Malik.

As a result, he hadn't realized that these were_ the_ Millennium items; the very items that his clan had once been connected to. He could vividly recall seeing that eye symbol on a piece of parchment that Ishizu was working with when they were younger, and her scolding him for asking about its origins. She had looked so nervous and worried at the time, and she'd been furious when he replicated the symbol in a bit of sand a few weeks later, to the point where she had forbidden him from ever asking about the Millennium items again. Her genuine fear had been enough for him to forget about them, because Ishizu had never steered him wrong. For the first time, as he glanced from Mariku to the Rod, it occurred to him that what Ishizu had kept a secret might not have been solely for his benefit.

A weak sound distracted him from his thoughts. It took him a moment to place the weird noise, and then he realized that his father was chuckling weakly, the sound ragged because of his wounded throat. Mariku stepped forward, eyes narrowing threateningly as Hafiz got to his feet. The man was still smiling broadly, though he was no longer laughing. With his right hand, he held up a strange, flat gold disc about the size of a small dinner plate. The symbol of the eye on it was stencilled across the front. Malik didn't recognize the disc, but he knew that it couldn't be good, and it wasn't. As Hafiz moved the disc so that it his face and whispered something, Malik took a step backwards, intending to run. Instantly, however, the eye lit up with a black light, and a piercing pain exploded in his head as Mariku began to yell. He dropped the Rod and collapsed to his knees, one hand clutching at his head and the other supporting his ribs. Pain was familiar to him, but nothing like_ this_.

A hand gripped the wrist holding his head and he forced his eyes open. Mariku was staring at him, head inclined in a way that meant he was definitely in pain as well, his lips moving as he struggled to make Malik understand something. Malik couldn't hear anything over the ringing in his ears and he shook his head. Scowling, Mariku grabbed the Millennium Rod off of the floor and forced it into Malik's hand, then pushed his hand into the air. Instantly, the second the Rod was between them and Hafiz, the dreadful pain stopped. Breathing harshly, Malik looked up and saw that Hafiz was no longer smiling. If anything, he seemed pissed.

"You little bastard, I knew I should have drowned you in the river when you were born," he declared, glowering at Malik. "You've been nothing but a thorn in my side for years. And now I find out you're consorting with the shadows?" His eyes flicked towards Mariku. "Disgusting."

"You're one to talk," said Mariku scornfully. "I can feel the taint all over you. Who_ are_ you?"

"That is none of your concern," snapped Hafiz. "I am beyond the likes of you. Once our mission is finished... Oh, you will see, it is far too late for you." His eyes glittered as a smirk stole over his face, and he sneered at Malik. "_Far_ too late. Enjoy the time you have with your yami, you little fucker. I'll delight in sliding a knife between your ribs and watching you die slowly and painfully all too soon."

Before either of them could react, the eye symbol lit up with black light again. Malik flinched, but the pain in his head didn't return. Instead, clouds of dark purple smoke began to ooze out of the flat gold disc. In the span of seconds, the clouds had begun to surround Hafiz's body. The man laughed began to laugh as his body was completely enclosed. His voice cut off abruptly as the clouds dissipated, showing that there was nothing left behind. Shocked, Malik forgot the pain in his body and stepped forward, sweeping his hand through the remainder of the clouds. Had Hafiz played some kind of trick? But no, he was really gone.

"What the fuck...?" he muttered, bewildered, and turned to look at Mariku. "How the hell did he do that?"

Mariku had been looking around the room with an intent look. "We should leave," he said suddenly, ignoring Malik's questions entirely. "It's not safe to be here anymore. I can sense something dangerous approaching."

Malik's fists clenched. If there was one thing he hated, it was being ignored. "Why the fuck would I go _anywhere_ with you?" he yelled, not bothering to keep his voice down. "I don't even _know_ you, you crazy asshole. You barge into my apartment and threaten my father, and - " Whatever else he was going to say came out angry and muffled, as Mariku took two steps forward and clamped his hand over Malik's mouth, pushing the boy back against the wall.

"Look, hikari, _you_ were the one who summoned me here," he told the younger boy. "It's unfortunate that you did so before you really understood what was going on, but that's just the way it turned out to be. Let's not make this a big deal, yes? I threatened your father because he was beating you, and no one touches what belongs to me." His dark violet eyes took on an unhealthy glow that made Malik swallow hard and stop squirming. "That bastard deserved more than what he got, but I could tell that I was upsetting you, so I stopped. I should have just killed him, but since we let him go, we're going to have to pay the price, which is headed here right now. If you're going to keep bitching, I'll sling you over my shoulder and carry you out." A lazy smirk crossed his face, and his free hand wandered around to slide suggestively down Malik's lower back. "If that's really what you'd prefer, consider it done, my pretty little light."

Making a sound that could only be considered a squeak, Malik managed to jerk free and slide sideways, out of Mariku's grip. He fought back a blush as he said quickly, "I can walk. I don't need your help."

"Then let's go," Mariku said calmly, gesturing to the door. "Make sure you've got the Millennium Rod. It belongs to you now."

Surprisingly, the Rod was still in his hand. Malik glanced down at it, realizing that he hadn't even considered letting go. It felt comforting and right to hold onto it, to feel the smooth, cool gold between his fingers. A frown crossed his face and he scowled at Mariku for good measure before reluctantly walking over to the door. Screw going back for clothing; it wasn't even worth it anymore. There was no way he was going to be stupid enough to let Mariku into his bedroom where there was a bed. Not after the pervert had just groped him. He tried not to think about the fact that standing in front of Mariku meant that Mariku's eyes were likely glued to his ass and opened the door, relieved for the chance to get some fresh air.

But their adventure was not over yet. As the door swung open, a tall figure dressed in an expensive black suit with dark sunglasses was revealed. Malik looked up at him blankly, unsure of who the man was or what he wanted. Then his eyes fell on the gun in the man's hand, and he realized that whatever the man wanted, it couldn't be good. Seconds after Malik registered the gun, Mariku reacted. He grabbed the Millennium Rod out of Malik's hand and quickly did something to the end of it. Malik's jaw dropped when he saw the wicked looking blade that now extended out of the end of the Rod. Without hesitating, Mariku leapt forward, blade extended and eyes flashing. The man never even got the chance to lift his gun. One quick, educated slash and he was on the floor, blood streaming from a gash in his throat. His death was quick, likely before he even fully realized what had happened.

"You... You just..." Malik's eyes were huge. Though he was no stranger to violence, and he'd been in his share of fights in school, weapons were rarely involved. He'd used a knife once or twice, but never for anything more than issuing warnings or scaring the shit out of boys bigger than he was. Seeing someone being killed right in front of him was a first... and on the one hand, it was completely disturbing. But on the other hand, he found himself looking at Mariku with a lot more respect than before. Apparently the guy wasn't just a pervert after all. Mariku tossed him a grin like he knew what Malik was thinking.

"Let's go, pretty hikari!" he yelled, grabbing Malik's wrist and yanking him along. The two of them ran down the hall and headed for the stairs, which they took down to the third floor before they encountered another obstacle. Mariku easily took care of another dark-suited man who had been trying to bar their way, then changed direction. Malik tried not to look at the body or the blood as he followed Mariku out of the staircase and towards the very end of the hall. He only fully realized Mariku's plan when the older boy busted out the window with a well aimed blow from the Rod and helped Malik out onto the fire escape.

Moving slowly to keep silent, the two of them made their way down the escape and walked calmly out of the alley, strolling over to where Mariku's motorcycle had been parked at the curb. Three more dark-suited men were swarming out of a limo and into the building, but they didn't appear to notice the two boys. Smirking, Mariku tossed his helmet at Malik and climbed onto the motorcycle. He only handed the Millennium Rod back once Malik was perched behind him. Malik held onto it with one hand and sat up straight as Mariku started the motorcycle to keep as much distance between them as possible, but he soon realized that the pain in his side meant that there was no way he was going to be able to spend the whole drive without any support. Slowly, reluctantly, he leaned forward, wrapped his arms loosely around Mariku's waist. He refused to lay his head against Mariku's shoulder, though, but the position seemed to be enough for Mariku. His foot kicked down hard and the motorcycle roared away from the curb just as the door to the building burst open and the three men spilled out, shouting after them with guns waving.

**GMA**

Pegasus Crawford stared out the window of his mansion, gazing down below at the field of pink, violet, and yellow wildflowers that led to a golden, sandy beach. There was a round, full moon in the sky, surrounded by hundreds of blazing silvery stars that made the scene look positively picturesque. This was the kind of idyllic place that he... no, that _they_ had always dreamed of. Between the mingled scent of the brine and flowers and the rhythmic sound of the waves washing up against the shore, he was in heaven. Smiling broadly, he closed his eye and took a slow, deep breath, knowing that if he concentrated hard enough, he would almost be able to hear the sound of his beloved's adoring laughter.

"Cynthia..." The taste of her name, sweet and candy-like, lingered on his lips.

Dark, purplish gray clouds materialized, blending in almost perfectly with the shadows. A heavy hand dropped onto his shoulder. "It won't be much longer, hikari."

Slowly Pegasus nodded, his glazed eye focused on the ocean. "My Cynthia..."

Hafiz smiled.

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Please review!


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:** Thank you so much to everyone who helped me to find that story I was looking for. Now that I've finally been able to go back and read it, I can stop wasting time trying to find it... and you have no idea how good that feels. As always, I offer sincere thanks for my reviews, too. I know some people were a little disappointed that Yuugi and Yami weren't in the last chapter, but that won't be happening too often now that everyone is in one place (for a little while, anyway). I had fun with the end of this chapter... Enjoy!

* * *

To say that Yuugi was surprised to look up from his game and see Bakura, Ryou, Malik, and Mariku standing in the doorway of the game room was an understatement. He stared at the small group with wide eyes, not even noticing when Tenno took the opportunity to win the game that the two of them had been playing for the past hour. Dropping his controller on the ground, he jumped up and ran to his friends, giving them both a quick examination as he approached. Ryou was noticeably pale, with a tell-tale line in his forehead, and Malik was just alternating between looking pissed and openly glaring at Mariku. It was obvious something wasn't right, and he had a sneaking suspicion that he knew what it was when he spotted the Ring around Ryou's neck and the Rod sticking out of the waistband of Malik's pants. But before he could say anything, Malik finally snapped.

"Stop trying to grope me, you pervert!" he screamed at Mariku. Ryou flinched, his hand flying up to his forehead. "Just stay away from me or I'm going to flush this down the toilet." He waved the Rod around for emphasis and stormed down the hallway as Mariku smirked, clearly not bothered by the threat.

"Mariku, can't you ever behave?" Tenno asked, rolling his eyes as he switched the video game off and picked Yuugi's controller up. He set both on top of the coffee table and reclined on the couch.

"Not when it comes to my pretty hikari," Mariku answered, looking rather dreamy. "He's just so - "

"Stop!" Bakura interrupted, holding a hand up and shuddering. "It's bad enough I've had to watch you stare at him for the past five minutes. I have no interest in hearing what you think or fantasize about him."

"You're just jealous," retorted Mariku.

"Are you okay?" Yuugi whispered, taking the chance to really take a good look at Ryou. After so many years of being Ryou's friend, he could see the imminent signs of a headache from a mile away. Ryou needed a quiet, dark room, some medication, a glass of water or better yet, something with sugar in it, and more importantly, an explanation.

Ryou sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm trapped in a nightmare and I can't seem to wake up," he stated miserably, glancing meaningfully at Bakura. "How do you think I am?"

Yuugi bit back a smile. "I'm sorry to hear that. If it helps, I think we're all in the same one." He tapped the Puzzle for emphasis, and Ryou nodded.

"What do you mean, a nightmare?" demanded Bakura, turning to face them. Ryou jumped. "If you want to have a nightmare, Rabbit, then believe me..."

"Stop!" ordered Tenno, rolling his eyes as he stood up. "Bakura, please stop trying to traumatize your hikari!"

Bakura scowled. "I don't have to listen to you, Pharaoh," he said.

During the ensuing bickering (which Mariku jumped into with glee), Yuugi and Ryou locked eyes. Jou, who was still sitting on the couch, shifted uncomfortably when he noticed, drawing the attention of Seto and Tenno. Curious as to what he was staring at, they followed his gaze to the two small boys standing in the doorway. Bakura and Mariku eventually glanced at them as well, wondering what was holding the interest of everyone else in the room. Neither Yuugi nor Ryou seemed to realize that they had caught the notice of the others, and Jou knew why. For as long as he could remember, the two of them had possessed the ability to have a conversation with each other without saying a single word. It was annoying at best, disturbing at worst, because it was usually proceeded by...

"Shall we flip for it?" Yuugi asked, breaking the silence.

"Why bother?" Ryou smiled tiredly. "You always win anyway."

"True." Violet eyes twinkled. "But no dividing and conquering tonight. I think everyone needs to hear this."

"Sounds good to me." Ryou turned to Jou, who suddenly looked really nervous. "Come on, Jou. I think it's time we all had a little talk."

"I can't," Jou said immediately, glancing around for safety. "I have to... um... I have to..."

Ryou folded his arms. "We can all talk now, or we can wait until Malik passes out and you can speak to Yuugi and me alone. Which would you prefer?" His voice was steely.

Jou gulped and started to sweat. If there was one thing he hadn't missed about his friends, it was the way that Yuugi and Ryou seemed to see right through both him and anyone else they encountered. It was uncanny and freaky as all hell. He looked desperately at Seto, hoping that his boyfriend would step in and save him, but Seto merely raised an eyebrow curiously, clearly seeing no need to intervene. Shooting him a vicious glare - the brunette was _so_ not letting laid that night - Jou finally sighed and allowed his shoulders to slump. There was going to be no getting away from it, and the lesser of two evils was having someone else in the room.

"Fine," he mumbled. "But I hope you know that you've met your match in Yami and Bakura."

"What's that supposed to mean?" demanded Bakura.

Pointedly ignoring him, Ryou spun and headed towards the stairs with Jou reluctantly trailing behind. It wasn't safe to leave Malik alone for too long if he was in a bad mood; the Kaiba mansion would suffer serious damage if they did. Smiling to himself, Yuugi set off after them, highly conscious of the fact that he had entourage of Tenno, Bakura, Mariku, and Seto. Glad that was facing forward so that he wouldn't have to deal with them, he quickly followed his two friends up the stairs. Apparently the four of them had each found a personal stalker. Fantastic. That was just what he had always wanted.

Jou was able to lead them straight to Malik, although the blond wouldn't have been that difficult to find; all they had to do was follow the sound of cursing. He tried the knob and found that the door was locked. Ryou sighed and knocked once. Almost immediately, there was silence from within the room. Yuugi paused by his friends and waited patiently, ignoring their four followers, as ever so slowly there came the sound of footsteps crossing the room, followed by a faint _click_ that meant the door had been unlocked. Pleased, he pushed it open and ushered Ryou and Jou inside before slipping inside himself. It was with a great deal of pleasure that he pointedly closed the door in the faces of their stalkers and locked it.

Malik had thrown himself down on the huge bed and was staring up at the ceiling. There was a glassy, vacant look in his eye that meant he was upset, though the room was surprisingly intact. Ryou approached the bed and climbed up beside him, stretching out on the opposite side with a faint sigh of relief. Jou sat down on the bottom of the bed, while Yuugi went into the ensuite bathroom and found a cloth. He ran it under the cold water in the sink, turned the lights off, and found his way over to the bed. With some effort, he wiggled his way onto the bed until he was sitting between Ryou and Malik.

"Alright, who wants to start?" he asked quietly, gently placing the folded cloth over Ryou's forehead and eyes.

"Bakura is a total nightmare," Ryou repeated, his hand rising to adjust the cloth so that absolutely no light could get past. Just being in the dark helped immensely, and he could feel his body beginning to relax as the stress of the day finally rolled away. "My father gave me this..." He gestured in the vague direction of his chest. "As a birthday gift. It's called the Millennium Ring. The woman that my father married, Samira-san, came in and completely lost it when she saw the Ring. She said that it was evil and insisted that I not put it on." A wry laugh escaped him. "If I'd known what was going to happen when I put the Ring around my neck, I probably would have helped her find a cliff to drop it off of."

"Let me guess. You put it on and Bakura came out?" said Yuugi, recalling his own experience with Tenno.

"You got it. He just appeared out of nowhere in my bedroom. Before I could do or say anything, Samira-san came upstairs to apologize and freaked out even more. She started yelling about how he was evil, which I actually kind of agree with now. Bakura shut the door on her and told me that he was leaving, and that I could either come with him or stay behind. He said that I only had one chance to make my choice." His voice grew softer. "I decided to go with him."

"If you hate him so much, why did you agree to go? Why didn't you stay home?" Jou asked with interest. He received a kick in the arm as his answer and yelped. "Ouch! It was an honest question, you know."

"I don't_ know_ why I went. That's the problem," said Ryou, sounding frustrated. "When we were standing there and he said that, I just... I couldn't imagine staying behind." He paused thoughtfully. "Of course, that was before I found out that the bond between us means I'm going to be stuck with him forever."

"What?" Malik and Yuugi shouted together. At the same time, Malik tried to sit up. Almost instantly, he gasped in pain and doubled over, his arms wrapped around his ribs. "Ow. Shit."

"Malik, what's wrong?" Yuugi cried.

Jou jumped off of the bed and hurried around to the other side. He was the one amongst their group who had the most experience in caring for injuries. "Lie down," he instructed firmly, placing a hand on Malik's shoulder.

Looking reluctant, Malik did as the taller boy had ordered. He grimaced as Jou leaned down and pulled Malik's shirt up to inspect the damage. Jou's honey brown eyes widened and he swore quietly at the sight of the livid bruising that trailed from Malik's chest all the way down to below the waist of his pants. It even disappeared around his body and no doubt continued on his back. Worst of all, most of the bruises were in the shape of a boot, and it didn't take a scientist to figure out what had happened. Yuugi choked back a gasp and grabbed Ryou's hand. Ryou didn't have to look to know that whatever his friends had seen, it was incredibly bad.

"Don't move, Malik. I think there's a first aid kit in the bathroom," said Jou. "Keep talking, Ryou."

"I haven't got much more to tell," mumbled Ryou, his voice filled with worry. "You okay, Malik?"

"I'm _fine_," said Malik, scowling. Being fussed over was not his favourite activity, and he regretted trying to move so fast, but it was too late now. There was no way his friends would let him get away without being taken care of, and at least he knew that Jou wasn't going to try to grope him. "What do you mean, you're stuck with Bakura forever?"

"Exactly what I said," Ryou sighed. "Bakura told me that three thousand years ago, he was a Tomb Robber who stole the Millennium Ring. But like the Pharaoh, he couldn't use the power because he was missing the light half of his soul. I guess the power would have made him crazy. Well, crazier than he already is. Anyway, the Tomb Robber agreed to be sacrificed in a ritual in return for the promise that he would be reincarnated at the same time and place that his hikari was. He thinks that hikari is me. Apparently, when I put the Millennium Ring on, it forged a bond between us that's never going to go away." He shuddered and pressed a hand against the cloth on his face. "The more time we spend together, the stronger the bond is going to get."

Yuugi looked down at the Puzzle with a horrified expression. "Oh my god," he whispered, suddenly feeling incredibly foolish. "Tenno really _does_ think I'm his hikari."

"Well, duh," Jou said, emerging from the bathroom. "No offence, Yuug, but did you really buy that he was just spending time with you in order to find his hikari? Come on. If you weren't his light, Yami would have just taken the Millennium Puzzle back and moved on. You were so reluctant to the thought of magic that he was just trying to come up with a way to make you agree to spend time with him. That way, you would be able to get to know him better and be more receptive to the whole idea." He knelt down beside Malik and set the first aid kit on the floor. "It's so obvious that you guys are hikari and yami. You complement each other in every way, and I can tell by how you're cradling the Puzzle that you're already attached to it."

Instantly, Yuugi dropped the Puzzle and held his hands up in the air. "That doesn't mean _anything_," he protested. It was true that he liked the Puzzle a lot, but that didn't mean he wanted anything to do with Tenno.

"Denial isn't only a river in Egypt. I think it's time you accepted the truth," Jou told him. He opened up the first aid kit and pulled out a roll of gauze and some special bruise cream that one of Seto's doctors had created after Mokuba began sleepwalking. It worked wonderfully in reducing the pain and severity of bruising in no time at all. "Yami is the other half of your soul, Yuugi. He's your darkness and you're his light. That's the way it is for _all_ of you," he added, poking his head up over the side of the bed. "It's not something you can change, and if you keep trying to deny it, you're only going to hurt yourself."

A mulish expression spread over Yuugi's face, and he turned resolutely to Malik. "What about you?

"Mariku is a fucking pervert," Malik growled, wincing as Jou's gentle fingers spread the cream across his chest. Even the lightest touch hurt. "Bastard had the nerve to intervene when my father and I were..." He hesitated briefly. "Talking. He was trying to kill the old man when I made him stop. Hafiz - " he refused to call his father "Dad" anymore " - used this weird golden disc to disappear after he promised to kill me in revenge. What more is there to say?"

A stunned silence fell over the room as everyone contemplated this bizarre summary. Finally, Yuugi spoke. "Malik, are you sure that you're alright?"

"No, I'm not fucking alright. That pervert groped me a half dozen times and my father was trying to kill me!" Malik yelled, not bothering to keep his voice down in the slightest. "My sister is keeping things from me, I've seen two people die today, I'm pretty sure that I've broken a few ribs, and now I've found out that this stupid thing has forged a bond between me and that pervert without my permission?" He waved the Rod around for emphasis. "Do I sound alright?"

"No, you sound hysterical, and let me remind you that "that pervert" is likely right outside the door listening to every word you just said," Jou commented.

Malik's mouth shut instantly with an audible click. Jou grinned to himself as he helped Malik to roll over so that he could continue smoothing the cream onto Malik's back. He was relieved to notice that the damage wasn't nearly as prominent, which gave him a chance to lightly probe Malik's ribs to see if they were broken. Once or twice Malik flinched from the pain, but Jou could tell that nothing was broken or cracked. Nevertheless, he got Yuugi to help Malik sit up a little so that he could roll a length of gauze around Malik. Extra support would be helpful, and he figured it would help remind the energetic blond that he was injured so that he wouldn't end up breaking something for real. With bruising that severe, it wouldn't take much to break a rib.

"Here, take this," he said, thrusting a couple of pills into Malik's hand. "It will help with the pain. I'll get you a glass of water from the bathroom. Hang on."

When he returned with the glass, Malik took the two pills, and then Ryou took one to help with his headache. Jou put the first aid kit back in the bathroom and then stretched out on the bottom of the bed again. One thing that he'd learned after living with Seto was that sometimes you could tell a lot more about a situation just by watching as opposed to speaking. At that moment, Malik was lying flat on his back with his hands crossed loosely over his chest. The Millennium Rod had been placed on the bed between he and Yuugi and, as far as anyone could see, Malik was completely ignoring it. But Jou had the sneaking suspicion that if he reached out and tried to grab the Rod, Malik would be on him faster than he could blink. Yuugi was staring down at the Millennium Puzzle with a faint frown on his face. No doubt he was less than impressed to have heard about Tenno's little plan, though Jou figured that his friend hadn't really fallen for it in the place. He was a lot smarter than he let on. Ryou still had the cloth over his eyes, but one of his hands was resting almost possessively on the Millennium Ring. Sighing, Jou rolled onto his stomach and spoke in as gentle a manner as he could.

"I know it's a lot to take in, but you should know that they would never hurt you, and the bond works both ways. They're the other halves of _your _souls, too."

"Is that how it is for you and Kaiba-san?" Yuugi asked suddenly, looking at Jou sharply.

"Err, kind of," Jou said, aware that he was blushing faintly. He'd never really talked about his relationship with Seto to anyone except for Shizuka. "Seto and I aren't really yami and hikari, though it feels that way sometimes. We're soul mates. We complete each other, but it's a little different from being two halves of one soul."

"Did he have a past in Ancient Egypt too?" inquired Ryou.

"Yeah. Back then, he was the Head Priest to the Pharaoh," he explained with a glance at Yuugi. "Because Seto isn't a yami, his power is stable enough that he doesn't need to rely on a Millennium Item. The shadow realm won't overwhelm him the way it would with Tenno or Bakura or Mariku. Now that would normally mean that his endurance isn't as strong, but as long as he has me to draw on, it's okay."

"I'll be he draws on you a lot to build up his _endurance_," Malik muttered.

Jou turned bright pink and glared. "If you weren't injured, I'd push you off the bed."

A knock came at the door, followed by Seto's low voice calling Jou's name. The sound effectively silenced whatever sharp comment that Malik had been about to make. There was no end to Jou's private amusement when he saw the horrified faces on his friends; clearly, none of them wanted the other men to be let into the room. Laughing to himself, he went to roll off of the bed and suddenly found himself pinned down. Jou blinked in astonishment, realizing that Malik had thrown his legs over his waist, Yuugi had lunged for his hands, and Ryou's headache had magically disappeared in his haste to pin Jou's legs to the bed. All three of them were glaring at him.

"Uh, guys?" he tried after a minute when the knock came for a second time. "Could you get off?"

"Not if you're opening that door," said Ryou, making himself comfortable on Jou's feet. "I don't want to even look at Bakura right now, much less speak to him. I'm sorry, Jou, but you're stuck in here."

"You have to face them at some point," Jou pointed out, wondering what the best plan was. Yuugi and Ryou were both small and not nearly as physically strong as he was, and though Malik could usually put up a good fight, he was wounded. The problem was that there were three of them and only one of him, and he didn't really want to hurt any of his friends. "It might even go better for you if you do it on your terms instead of theirs. Because let me tell you, if you think that Yami, Mariku, and Bakura are not going to get in here if they _want _in here, you have another thought coming. They were being _nice_ by giving us a chance to open the door. Any one of them, including Seto, could have that door open before you had time to realize that they even wanted in."

"But it's locked," Yuugi said, blinking down at him.

"When you have shadow magic, that's not exactly an issue," Jou reminded him. "Not to mention someone who was once a professional Tomb Robber. Bakura has a lot of his previous incarnation's talents, let's put it that way."

"Oh god," Ryou whimpered. "Suddenly I have another headache."

"Suck it up," he said, chuckling. With a quick, smooth movement, he bucked up with his feet, sending Ryou over the side of the bed with a sound that could only be described as a squeal. Next, he jerked his wrists forward in a controlled motion, sending Yuugi tumbling over the side of the bed to land on top of Ryou. Then he sat up, shoved Malik's legs aside, and scooted backwards out of the blond's reach, ignoring the way Malik was cursing at him. That was the scene that Bakura, Malik, Tenno, and Seto walked in on. The four men stopped in the doorway and stared. Seto was the only one who looked amused. Bakura rolled his eyes. Tenno smirked, and Mariku just beamed at seeing Malik with his shirt off.

"Hi Seto," Jou said brightly, glancing up at his boyfriend. At the same time, Malik leaned forward, caught hold of his knees, and flipped him sideways over the side of the bed that faced the door. Jou hit the ground with a thump and a pained yelp. Malik took one look at Mariku's grin and shuddered as he rolled off of the other side of the bed, where Ryou and Yuugi were. It hurt when he hit the ground - or make that Yuugi and Ryou - but it was worth it.

"Malik, get off!"

"Shh! You'll attract attention!"

"I think they saw us, and Ryou's right. You're _heavy_."

"Don't insult me when I'm wounded!"

"Do you need some help getting up, my pretty hikari?" Mariku purred, leaning against the side of the door.

"HIDE ME!"

"Malik, _ow_. That's my hair!"

"Both of you shut up!" ordered Ryou, tilting his head to hear better. His two squabbling friends fell silent, allowing him to hear the soft ringing that was coming from underneath him. It wasn't easy by any stretch of the imagination, but somehow he managed to work his hand into his back pocket so that he could pull his cell phone out. Both Yuugi and Malik looked down at him with interest, neither making any attempt to move, as he held the phone to his ear with a resigned sigh. "Hello, Ryou speaking."

"Ryou-kun?" A woman's voice came clearly down the line, and Ryou stiffened. Yuugi and Malik exchanged glances and then climbed off of their friend so that he could sit up.

"Samira-san?" he asked doubtfully, wondering if it was really her. She sounded different.

"Yes, it's me. I'm so glad you finally picked up. I've been directed to call you with some very important information, and this is the fifth time I've attempted to get a hold of you."

"I guess my phone was on vibrate," said Ryou. "What do you want?" The words came out more briskly than he'd intended, but they had the intended effect. He listened silently as Samira spoke to him, her words spilling out in a rush that was hard to understand. Unfortunately, he still got most of it. His big brown eyes grew even wider, and his mouth dropped open. After about a minute, he removed the phone from his ear and just stared at it for a minute in shock.

"Ryou?" Worried, Yuugi grabbed his shoulder. "What is it? What's wrong?"

Silently, Ryou got up onto his knees so that he was visible to those on the other side of the bed. Yuugi and Malik copied his movements, though Malik made sure to keep both the bed and Yuugi in between he and Mariku. Seto had helped Jou to his feet, and the two of them were seated on the bed. Jou was practically in the brunette's lap. Tenno, Bakura, and Mariku were still clustered near the door. Mariku was openly leering at Malik, but Bakura and Tenno seemed to sense that something was wrong and were staring at Ryou. The temperature in the room dropped several degrees as Ryou swallowed hard and spoke in a tiny voice.

"My father has been kidnapped. The ransom note says that he'll be killed at midnight tomorrow unless I give up the Millennium Ring."

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Please review!


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:** Thank you so much for the reviews. I have to laugh at so many of them! It seems that a lot of you suspect Ryou's stepmother. I haven't decided yet whether she's in on it but I'm having fun hearing that everyone else does. I was going to jump straight into that vein, but it's been a little while (too long) since we had some fluff in the story, and that needed to be rectified first. Just as a note, I changed a little of Yuugi's history. His mother is not around in this story (which should have been obvious) but since this is an AU, I didn't think anyone would mind. Enjoy!

* * *

Ryou was pissed. No, strike that. He was_ pissed_, and he wasn't afraid to show it. Folding his arms, he glowered at Bakura, who scowled back at him. The two of them had been bickering for hours, and had eventually entered a sort of stalemate wherein both of them absolutely refused to back down but were no longer allowed to argue. The problem was that Bakura thought that Ryou was insane for even considering giving up the Millennium Ring, while Ryou couldn't imagine doing anything less. After all, this was his _father_, the only member of his family that he still had left. Every time Bakura told him he was crazy, Ryou kept remembering that he had made a promise to his mother while she was in the hospital that he would care for Osamu as best he could, and come hell or high water, he was going to keep that promise no matter what Bakura said or did.

Very deliberately, he turned his head away from Bakura and took another bite of the spicy noodles that Seto's chef had prepared for them. The food was delicious, but he didn't have much of an appetite. It was very late, and he knew that Yuugi had already called his grandfather to explain that they would be spending the night at Jou's. Neither of his friends seemed to be willing to leave him, and Ryou was grateful for that. In spite of how obnoxious Bakura was acting, Ryou was doing his best to hold himself together, but their support was invaluable and had thus far managed to keep him falling apart. But judging by how tired everyone looked, he suspected that their meeting was going to be breaking up soon.

"Are you sure she didn't tell you anything else?" Seto asked for about the fifth time. Unlike the others, he hadn't eaten anything. A sleek laptop computer was sitting in front of him, and his fingers had been steadily flying over the keys for the past thirty minutes as he did some research into Bakura Samira. From the exasperated look on his face, he didn't appear to be getting very far. "How_ exactly_ are you supposed to give up the Ring?"

"She didn't say," Ryou repeated wearily, pushing his bowl away. Jou snagged it and gleefully began finishing the contents. Too depressed even to roll his eyes, Ryou propped his chin up on his hand and glanced at Seto. Repeated attempts to call both his father and Samira had ended in the voicemail picking up, and even though he'd left several messages, no one had returned his calls. That was unusual. Osamu didn't visit very often, and no one would ever peg him as the world's best father, but he always called Ryou back within a couple of hours. Always. The fact that he hadn't made it certain that something was wrong. "I've already told you every little detail. There was nothing about where I should put the Ring, or who I'm supposed to talk to. All she said was that my father had been kidnapped and there was a note left requesting the Ring in return for his safety by midnight tomorrow night."

"I don't see why it matters, since you're not giving up the Ring," said Bakura.

"You told me the Ring was mine, so I don't see why you think that you have a say in this," Ryou snapped back, unperturbed by the reddish brown eyes that were glaring at him. "If that's what it takes to return my father safely, then that's what I'm going to do."

"The hell you will. Don't you know you'll be playing right into their hands?" Bakura retorted.

"How could I? You haven't even told us who "they" are!" yelled Ryou. He felt a bit guilty when he saw Yuugi, Malik and Jou staring at him with wide eyes. It was rather out of character for Ryou to lose his temper, but he couldn't help it. Never in his life had he wanted to strangle someone as much as he wanted to strangle Bakura at that moment.

"He has a point," Malik ventured finally, shifting on his chair. The bruising done to his ribs meant he needed to sit rather stiffly, so he wasn't exactly comfortable. "I get the feeling that the lot of you know exactly why Ryou's father was kidnapped and why these people – whoever they are – would want the Millennium Ring." He narrowed his eyes slightly. "Feel free to share. Now."

Seto, Bakura, and Mariku exchanged looks before all three of them turned to Yami, who rolled his eyes. He'd long since finished his own meal and had been sitting silently, observing the fight between Bakura and Ryou just like the rest of them. "You remember how I told you about the Pharaoh's uncle?" he asked, looking at Yuugi.

"Yes," said Yuugi. "The uncle killed his brother in hopes that he would be able to ascend the throne before the son, but the son became Pharaoh and managed to drive him away."

Yami nodded. "That's correct. What I didn't tell you was that the Pharaoh's uncle, Akhenaden, never gave up even after he was driven from the palace. He was a cruel, ruthless man who truly believed that it was his right to rule over Egypt. His bitterness knew no bounds, and when he learned that the new Pharaoh was unable to fully use the Millennium Puzzle, he only grew more convinced that he was meant to be the true ruler. There were many wars after the Pharaoh was sacrificed in the ritual, because the Pharaoh had chosen his high priest and cousin to rule in his place, and Akhenaden was utterly furious that he had been passed over." His crimson eyes landed on Seto as he spoke. Soft gasps were heard around the table as the three lights understood the implications at the same time.

"You were the ruler of Egypt?" Yuugi asked, awed.

"My previous incarnation was because there was no other choice," Seto replied, sounding unusually cold. He'd never liked the story of the Pharaoh and Akhenaden. It always left him with a chilled feeling. "The closest thing you have to a Pharaoh around this table is your yami."

Yuugi's face went pale at the reminder, and Ryou decided to step in. "It's an interesting story, but I fail to see what that has to do with my father," he said.

"We're getting to that," Yami assured him. "Akhenaden possessed a Millennium item just we did. The Millennium Eye. It allows one to see into the minds of others. The current owner of the Millennium Eye is a man by the name of Pegasus Crawford. You've likely heard of him; he is the owner of Industrial Illusions." A frown crossed his face. "This is the point where we don't know as much. We're unsure of whether Pegasus is the reincarnation of Akhenaden, or whether he is merely the new owner of the Millennium Eye. We do know that he can use the power of the Millennium Eye. We also know that Pegasus has been working to collect the other Millennium items."

"What does he want with them?" asked Malik. "From the sound of it, only one person can use them. Aren't they useless to him?"

"It's said that when the Millennium items come together, untold power will be given," offered Bakura, folding his arms. "Pegasus can't use the other items individually, but if he could gather them into one place..."

"Unfortunately, no one is sure what he wants with them, pretty hikari," Mariku answered. He had his arm draped over the back of Malik's chair. Surprisingly, Malik didn't seem to mind – as long as Mariku didn't actually touch him. "The only reason we even know he's after them is because he came sniffing around for ours." Long, agile fingers slipped the Millennium Rod out of Malik's pocket. Mariku lazily spun the Rod and added with a smirk in Bakura's direction, "Of course, we didn't have them because the items don't belong to us."

"You don't say," said Ryou, glaring pointedly at Bakura. Bakura rolled his eyes.

"This is not really a new low for Pegasus, though," said Jou, finishing the remainder of Ryou's food. "He once tried to kidnap my little sister and Mokuba because he thought that we had a Millennium item, too. He was going to offer their lives in exchange for the item. We managed to thwart him, but it was a pretty close call." His honey brown eyes glimmered. "And I'm pretty sure he only stopped because he found out we didn't have one."

"He tried to kidnap Shizuka-chan and he's still alive?" Malik said, genuinely surprised. They were all aware of just how protective Jou was when it came to Shizuka, and it was no stretch of the imagination to figure that Seto was exactly the same way.

"Only because he lives on a private island in this stupid castle," Jou grumbled. "I couldn't figure out a way to get there, and Seto wouldn't let me borrow one of his helicopters."

"There are some things that not even_ I_ could hide," Seto replied.

Jou snorted and scooted his chair away from Seto with a smirk. "Liar. You just couldn't say no to Mokuba and Shizuka after they used their puppy eyes and begged you not to."

"Anyway," Yami intervened before Seto could respond, "Ryou, if your father was really kidnapped, it's likely Pegasus was the culprit. The Millennium items have always been shrouded in mystery, making it nearly impossible for them to be traced. Believe me, we've tried. But now that they are with their rightful owners, it would be easy for Pegasus to find them and you. When we first met, I was unaware that held the Millennium Eye, and he invaded my mind to find out information about the four of us." His jaw tightened at the memory. Clearly the meeting had not been a pleasant one. "He knows that we're the darkness's of the Millennium items, so all he would have to do is monitor Bakura, Mariku and I from a distance."

"So then what do I do?" Ryou asked, looking at him imploringly. His fingers trembled around the Millennium Ring. The thought of giving it up was unbearable, no matter what he said to Bakura. They didn't even know what Pegasus would do it. What if he destroyed it? But if it meant that it would save his father's life... how could he do anything else? "Should I give him the Ring?"

"That's a choice only you can make," Yami answered gently, looking sympathetic.

Their meeting broke up shortly after that. Jou coaxed his boyfriend into putting his laptop away and following him upstairs. From the looks of it, Seto wouldn't be doing much more work if Jou had anything to say it. There was no sign of Mokuba or any of the staff, so Ryou decided to stay behind to clean up a little. Malik went off with his cell phone to call his sister, and Mariku stole after him. Looking preoccupied, Yuugi wandered off, and after one last warning glance at Bakura, Yami rose and followed. That left Ryou alone with the one person that he really did not want to talk to. He stared down at the table, doing his best to ignore Bakura, and wished that the other boy would just leave him be. A chair scraped, and for a moment, he actually thought he would get his wish. No such luck.

"You can't give the Millennium Ring away, Rabbit." Bakura sat down right next to him, in the seat that Malik had vacated. A strong hand reached out and caught Ryou's chin, forcing his eyes to look straight into Bakura's. It created a level of intimacy that Ryou was not used to, and he couldn't help blushing as the older boy continued. "Not only will you be giving Pegasus exactly what he wants, I don't believe that it will end with the safe return of your father. Pegasus is not a man to keep his word. Once he has what he wants, your father will become expendable."

Cold dread crept over Ryou, and he took a deep breath in an effort to keep himself from crying. He made no move to break away from Bakura's hold as he whispered pleadingly, "I can't just leave him there. He's my_ father_. What else can I do?"

Bakura didn't say anything for a minute, but his touch grew gentler when Ryou shuddered. At last, he said, "Tomorrow morning, we will visit this wife of your father. Her reaction to me indicates that she knows a lot more about the history of the Millennium items than she's letting on. It's likely she's been withholding information from you on purpose. Sometimes all it takes for people to share is the right incentive." His lips quirked in a dangerous smirk.

Ryou considered this peace offering and after a moment of contemplation, decided that it would do. He didn't have to make a decision for another twenty or so hours, which meant that there would be plenty of time to question Samira. "Alright. Thank you."

"Don't thank me. I just don't want you giving away the Ring just when I can finally use it," Bakura muttered, dropping his hand from Ryou's chin. He stood up and turned his back on Ryou as he walked out, leaving the younger boy completely alone in the kitchen with all of the dirty bowls, glasses, and utensils. Ryou sighed, but for the first time since he'd learned of his father's abduction, there was a small smile playing around his lips as he rose and began to gather the dirty dishes. Loathe as he was to admit it, perhaps Bakura wasn't a total bastard. Maybe... just maybe... there was a softer side to his yami after all.

**GMA**

Ignoring the fact that Mariku was right behind him, Malik opened the front door of the Kaiba mansion and stepped out into the cool night air. The Kaiba mansion was enormous, there was no question about that, but even a place that size could still feel like it was closing in on him. He didn't like the feeling of being trapped. Being able to escape at any moment was incredibly important to him. That was why he didn't feel too badly about closing the door in Mariku's face when the older boy made to follow him outside. It didn't do much good, of course, but the swearing coming from the other side as Mariku jerked the door open again made him smirk.

"Very cute, little hikari," Mariku told him. "It seems you have a lot more fire to you than I originally thought."

Malik shot the man an exasperated look. Was there nothing he could do that would make Mariku angry enough to piss off? Every slight, every shout, every glare – it only appeared to make Mariku that much more encouraged. He didn't understand that, and it was unnerving. "I have to call my sister," he said stiffly, pointedly turning away.

"Go ahead. I don't mind," the other boy retorted, leaning against the wall with a casual stretch. If he didn't know better, Malik would have thought that that had been Mariku's goal all along. Unfortunately, he _did_ know better, and he scowled deeply as he turned his phone on, dialled the familiar number, and listened to it ring.

"Hello, Isis speaking."

"Nee-san!" Waves of relief flashed through him at the sound of her warm voice; a small part of him had been afraid that she wouldn't pick up. Malik sat down hard, clutching the phone to his ear. "It's me."

"Malik!" Ishizu's voice was filled with concern, and he could hear sounds that meant she was slipping off to a more private place so that the two of them could speak without worry of being overheard. Too bad there was no way that he could do the same. "Are you alright, my brother? I returned home this afternoon and saw that there were signs of a struggle in the apartment, but neither you nor Father were anywhere to be seen. No one was answering their phones, so I was concerned."

"I had it switched off, and Yuugi and Ryou probably did too," Malik admitted sheepishly, feeling guilty. "Things have been so hectic that I never even thought about calling you until now, Nee-san. I'm sorry."

Ishizu let out a quick, low breath. "It's alright. I'm just glad to know that you are alright. I'd even thought about calling a few of the hospitals in the area, but Yuugi's grandfather had assured me that he had heard from Yuugi. He said that you're staying with a friend?" To anyone else, she might have sounded casual, but Malik could hear the burning curiosity. A wry smile touched his lips.

"You remember Jou, don't you, Nee-san?" he asked.

"Of course. He was your friend when you were younger," she said, clearly relieved. "I didn't realize that you had made contact with him again, and that you were close enough to spend the night at his house. I had thought that maybe..." Abruptly, she trailed off for a moment. Silence rang down the line before Ishizu began to speak carefully. "Malik, when I was at the apartment, I happened to find a box on the floor with your name written on the top. I'm also told that you paid a visit to the museum earlier today."

Malik squirmed. "I might have picked the box up off your desk and taken it with me."

"Oh, Malik!" Ishizu groaned with frustration. "How many times have I told you that just because something has your name on it, that doesn't necessarily mean it's for you?"

"But it_ was_ for me," Malik pointed out. He shot a sour glance over his shoulder at Mariku. "Believe me, I've been trying to get away from that fact for the past several hours."

Ishizu didn't say anything for a moment. Then she sighed. "I take it you opened the box and took out the item inside."

"Err, yeah, I did," he confessed, taking a seat on the edge of the step. The marble was cold beneath his bottom, but he felt better when he was sitting. More centered.

"Be careful, little brother," Ishizu said seriously. "I had wanted to keep the Millennium Rod from you until I felt that you were ready. It comes with a great responsibility and can be dangerous to the inexperienced. There is no doubt in my mind that your yami will go to the lengths of the earth to protect you at all costs, but you will need to keep your wits about you. Do not make any foolish choices and above all, trust no one unless you are certain that they are on your side."

Now it was his turn to fall silent. Ishizu knew all about the Millennium Rod and the yamis, just like he'd suspected. The fact that she'd kept him in the dark about it stung. "I will, Nee-san. Listen, I have to go. The bars on my cell phone are going to die. But I'll plug it in and call you later."

"Alright. Be careful, Malik. I love you."

"Love you too," he mumbled, ending the call without waiting for her to say anything else. His phone actually still had about half the charge left, but he didn't care. He didn't want to speak to her anymore, not until he had time to get over the fact that she'd hidden so much from him. Otherwise, it would cause a fight, and he absolutely hated arguing with his sister. Just in case she tried to call him back, he turned his phone off and tucked it back into his pocket as Mariku sat down beside him. Malik shot him a wary glance but didn't bother to shuffle away. Instead, he pulled his knees closer to his chest and looked out over the grass.

"What did you say that your sister's name is?" Mariku asked after a moment.

"I didn't. It's Ishizu, but everyone knows her as Isis," Malik muttered, resting his chin on his knees. How could she have kept something so important from him? Because of her, he had been completely blindsided, and that wasn't a feeling that he enjoyed.

Mariku made a thoughtful sound at the name, but offered no other comment. He eyed Malik for several minutes as the two of them continued to sit in silence, but the younger boy either didn't notice or didn't care that he was being stared at. His violet eyes were distant, and it was clear that his mind was a hundred miles away. However, it would have been impossible for him to not notice when a strong arm wrapped around his shoulders. Malik sputtered, his spine stiffening as the heavy weight settled, but before he could elbow Mariku in the ribs, a strong hand cupped his cheek, forcing him to look straight at Mariku as the older boy leaned in and kissed him.

The kiss was not sweet or soft, but harsh and demanding, with an edge of possessiveness. It was a rather short kiss, all things considered, but for Malik it seemed to last a lifetime and then some. Mariku's right arm kept him from squirming away too soon, and he was extremely aware of the feel of Mariku's hand against his cheek. He could feel shivers running down his spine, and that alarmed him to the point where he didn't feel bad in planting a fist in Mariku's stomach. His yami released him and Malik shot to his feet immediately, ignoring the pain that flared around his ribs. Staring down at Mariku, he unconsciously lifted one hand to his lips. That's when Mariku winked up at him and smirked, causing Malik to snap out of his daze and flee into the (relative) safety of the house.

**GMA**

Leaving behind the rest of his friends, Yuugi wandered into one of the many smaller sitting rooms that were located on the first floor of the Kaiba mansion and closed the door behind him. He knew that leaving Malik and Ryou alone with Mariku and Bakura had the potential to be a _very_ bad thing, but he needed some time to himself to think about everything that had happened during the past week. It was bewildering and overwhelming, for lack of a better world. Reincarnation? Pharaohs? Magic? It sounded like something out of the fantasy manga that Rebecca used to try to push on him. There was a reason that Yuugi usually didn't read those kinds of stories; they were always about amazing adventures filled with strong, courageous people who had happy endings. Not like him at all.

Heaving a soft sigh, he sat down on the couch and looked with blank eyes at the television. Listlessly, he picked up the remote and turned it on, though that was more for the sound than because he really wanted to watch a show. He was tired, but every time he closed his eyes, he kept remembering what Tenno had told them about the Pharaoh and his uncle. Family wasn't always a good thing. Yuugi had learned that at a young age, when his father had gone out one morning and never returned after a car accident. His mother had tried her best for a good two or three years before the weight of being a single mother got to be too much for her. No matter how good and sweet he had tried to be for her, one day, she'd taken him to the hospital and just left him there. Sometimes when he closed his eyes, he could still see her red car driving away from him.

Why hadn't she just waited a little while longer and taken him to Mutou Sugoroku? What was pride when you were running away from your only child? Social Services had been forced to step in to deal with him at that point, and since Mutou Sugoroku had been on a dig in Egypt and out of contact for some time, Yuugi had been left with a foster family. It had been fine at first. He hadn't exactly liked the family, but as long as he pretended to be happy and cheerful, they had treated him well. Until he'd come home from school one day and found out that the whole family had gone missing. There had been no explanation for it. Just there one hour and gone the next. Yuugi had even been a suspect for a short while, but his youth and innocence had worked in his favour, and eventually the police dropped him as a suspect. Even now, no one knew what had happened to that family.

Following that, he'd been sent to an orphanage that had burned down in the middle of the night. Fortunately, not long after the fire, Sugoroku had returned from Egypt and been made aware of the situation. Because they were so anxious to place Yuugi, who had gotten the reputation of being 'cursed', the papers had been pushed through quickly and Yuugi had been with his grandfather within a month. Looking back, he considered it to be sheer luck that his grandfather had chosen to take him in, or who knows where he would have ended up? He liked living with his grandfather. Sugoroku never grew angry with him, and Yuugi didn't have to act cheerful or happy all the time; he knew that his grandfather would_ never_ kick him out, nor would the man ever disappear. Or at least... that's what Yuugi had thought, before he'd spoken to Sugoroku earlier that day.

Biting his lip at the reminder, Yuugi lowered his eyes and folded his arms across his chest. The point was, he could sympathize with the Pharaoh to some extent. Family could betray you sometimes. On some level, he could even get how Akhenaden could have held a grudge for so long. There were boys at his school who were like that, people who couldn't seem to let things go no matter what. Yet he didn't understand why it had to be_ them_. Why not someone else who would actually want to a part of this fantasy story? He leaned his back against the couch and took a slow, deep breath, wondering why it had to be him, Ryou, and Malik.

Yet as much as that was frustrating him, what bothered him most about the whole situation was how Tenno made him feel. From the moment he'd first met Tenno in the park, he'd become aware of a pain in his chest. It was a small pain, a dull aching if you will, but it was _always there_. No matter what Yuugi did, he couldn't get rid of it... unless he was around Tenno. Only then, especially when they were touching, was the ache replaced by a true feeling of warmth and completion. A feeling unlike any other that Yuugi had ever experienced. He'd never even realized that he didn't feel whole until he knew what it was like, and he was worried that he was becoming addicted to it. People had the tendency to leave Yuugi, even friends like Jou. It had taken him years to trust that Ryou and Malik wouldn't vanish, and even now, especially with the news about his grandfather, sometimes he wondered if it was only a matter of time for them, too. What would he do if he let Tenno in and the man chose to disappear? How could he risk becoming close to anyone again?

The door creaked, disturbing him from his thoughts. Yuugi tensed and held back an annoyed sigh when he realized that someone else had entered the room. It likely wasn't Ryou, Jou or Malik, as they probably wouldn't have disturbed him, so he had a sneaking suspicion that he knew who it was. Silently, the person crossed the room and sat down on the couch beside him, and he could tell that it was Tenno by the way that he immediately felt better when a hand rested against his shoulders. The disappearance of the ache made the exhaustion hanging over him seem that much more apparent. He told himself quite firmly that that was the reason for which he didn't protest when Tenno gently reached out and guided Yuugi's body into a horizontal position, with his head in Tenno's lap.

That position was beyond embarrassing and also a little frightening in terms of intimacy, and really, Yuugi should have jumped up and stormed out at Tenno's nerve. But as strong fingers began to stroke through his hair in a reassuring pattern, he felt his body relaxing without his permission. It had been a long time since he'd been able to be with someone without worrying about forcing a cheerful smile onto his face, so even when he heard the door open for a second time, he remained still, his breathing slow and even. He could feel a pair of eyes studying him as the other person moved further into the room. Alarmingly, with Tenno's presence, he didn't feel worried or afraid even though his eyes were closed.

"He asleep?" a voice asked. Yuugi identified the person as Seto and relaxed further.

"Just about," Tenno replied, the steady movement of his hand never pausing. "I thought you went upstairs with Jou?"

"He's taking a shower. I already had one, so no, I'm not joining him, you pervert," the taller man said, sounding more amused than anything. "How do you think they took it?"

Tenno was silent for a minute. "It's hard to say. Probably about as well as I did after Pegasus visited me for the first time." His voice was grim and not particularly pleased. Clearly it wasn't a good memory. "Being pulled into the middle of a fight is not a positive feeling. Yuugi is deeply unsettled. I can feel it."

Yuugi wanted to sit up and snap at him. Tenno didn't know anything about him, so how could he presume to say that Yuugi was upset? He hated it when people talked about him like he wasn't even there, and he was contemplating opening his eyes and letting them know that he was awake, even if it meant he wouldn't get the chance to listen to their conversation. But then Tenno's hand moved from stroking his hair to rubbing gentle circles around his back, and all thoughts of sitting up vanished immediately. Somehow, the older boy knew exactly what to do to turn Yuugi into a pile of mush. His eyes fluttered and he found himself sighing softly.

"It's to be expected. Things would have gone over better if we had more insight into Pegasus. None of us really know what he's planning. I've been doing more research into him, and I've hired several private detectives to follow him, but there's still no indication for why he might want the Millennium items," said Seto. "He has the Millennium Eye, and I suspect that he may have found the Scale or the Key, but not even I or Isis can be certain. They're so damned hard to trace." He paused and then suddenly changed subjects. "You and him, all six of you really, you're targets, cousin. Be careful."

"Nothing will happen to our lights," Tenno said calmly. His voice had taken on a dangerous edge that would made Yuugi shudder if he had been more awake. As it was, he merely felt safe and protected. "But thank you for the warning, Seto. Keep looking as best you can. If this whole thing with Ryou's father isn't real, I suspect that it won't be long before Pegasus makes a move."

Seto didn't say anything else, and a minute later, his footsteps could be heard leaving the room, followed by the sound of the door closing. It would have been a good time for Yuugi to make his escape, but in spite of himself that was the last thing he felt like doing. Tenno's hand had never stopping moving during the conversation with Seto, and even now, it maintained a steady, soothing pace. The man's body was warm, and his lap was turning out to be a surprisingly comfortable place for a nap. Yuugi shifted slightly, trying to force himself back into some state of awareness. All the he ended up doing was making himself that much more comfortable.

"Shh," Tenno whispered. "Go to sleep, aibou."

And Yuugi did.

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Please review!


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N:**Thanks for reviews. I'm glad that everyone enjoyed the fluff so much, because I know I certainly did! Now I've had this posted on my profile for a while, but I'll re-post it here. This week marks the beginning of National Novel Writing Month, which means that there is a chance my updates may temporarily become sporadic. I'm going to try to keep working on my fanfiction on the side, and barring any unforeseen circumstances I should be able to do that, but if I miss an update you all know what happened. Having said that, enjoy the story!

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Isis Ishtar, as she was known to the outside world, had made an effort not to show it, but she was completely aware of just how pissed her brother was when she'd gotten off the phone with him the night before. In fact, she'd been expecting that reaction, and had already decided what she would do about it. Malik was the kind of person who would only get angrier the longer she put off speaking to him, which was why she was entering the Kaiba mansion at nine the very next morning. The maid who had let her in led her to a large meeting room on the third floor, where Seto, Jou, Bakura, Mariku, Yami, Yuugi, Ryou and Malik were waiting for her. She was interested to note that none of them looked especially happy to see her, though Yuugi offered her a very tiny smile, a gesture that she appreciated. Malik just scowled, his violet eyes showing no warmth whatsoever.

"Hello, Isis-san. What brings you here?" Yami asked, looking all for the world as though she had just swung by on a casual business call. He knew her well, as she had been the one to seek him out after one of her visions, and they had kept in touch for several years while Yami waited for the Puzzle to appear. What he didn't know, or at least as far as Isis knew he didn't, was that she had known the identity of their lights from the moment she first made contact with him. She had purposely kept that information a secret from all of them, not just her brother, for a good reason. Bonds forged between yami and hikari without the help of the items were dangerous.

"Malik informed me that the Puzzle, Rod, and Rin had found, and that the bonds had been created. I wished to see the results for myself," she answered quietly, acutely aware of the surprised looks she was receiving from the three hikaris. Uncomfortably, she fingered the Millennium Tauk, which she was wearing around her neck for the first time in Malik's presence. Her statement was mostly the truth, but her ulterior motive was to make an attempt at smoothing things over with Malik.

She had known from the moment that she'd had her vision about the three lights and their darknesses that Malik would hate her for her part in this. There was nothing that her brother hated more than being forced into things, which, considering their earlier life, wasn't that surprising. That knowledge had been a heavy burden on her soul every time she spoke to the yamis about finding the Millennium items and through them, their lights. But what else could she do? Malik was only half of a soul, forever incomplete without his darker half, and he had been living the kind of life that no child should ever have to put up with. No matter how much he might detest the situation, there was no doubt in her mind that Mariku would do whatever was necessary to protect and provide for his little light, no matter how crazy he was. If the price she paid for keeping Malik safe was that he hated her, so be it. Isis was willing to accept that if she had to.

"Wait, you two know each other?" Malik said suddenly, narrowing his eyes. He glanced from her to Yami and back again. "How?"

"Isis-san is the reincarnation of one the Pharaoh's Head Priestess," explained Yami calmly, seemingly unperturbed by Malik's reaction. "Like that Priestess, she owns the Millennium Tauk, which grants the wearer the ability to see visions of the past and future. She first approached me about two years ago and offered her help in trying to find our lights after one of those visions. In the meantime, she has also been helping me to track down the Millennium Key and the Millennium Scale."

Betrayal flashed into Malik's eyes as he put two and two together and realized that his sister had known even more than he had originally guessed. Without a word, he stood up and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Isis rose and gracefully bowed in Yami's direction before she hurried after her brother, knowing that the confrontation would be better served without witnesses. She chased him all the way to the kitchen, where she found him pacing back and forth, waiting for her to arrive. Swallowing hard, she moved further into the room and reached for his arm, hoping to give him some form of comfort. Malik jerked out of her hold and glared at her.

"Don't touch me," he practically hissed. "How could you? Have you known about this all along and you never bothered to tell me about it? Why would you... how could you keep something like that from me?"

"I knew you weren't ready," Isis told him sadly, trying to keep her voice steady. "I knew that it would upset you, Malik. I wanted to break the news of your yami and the Millennium items to you more gently. I never intended for you to find the Millennium Rod so quickly." She sighed. "I should have realized that fate would intervene and hand you the Rod whether you were prepared for it or not."

Malik shook his head. "You've known about this for ages," he said accusingly. "I remember when we were younger, you got angry with me for asking about the Millennium items. I always figured that it had something to do with what the clan was protecting, but that wasn't it at all, was it? Even though, you knew about my connection to the Rod. You were concerned that I would come into contact with it and find out what was going on!"

"I admit that I had my suspicions, but it wasn't until the Millennium Tauk found its way to me that I knew for sure," she replied. "At that time, I didn't know you were connected to the items. It really was our clan's job to protect them, and that was supposed to be the extent of our involvement. That's the truth. After we were cast out, and we were living on the surface, the Millennium items were stolen. Sometime later, I found the Tauk. I was compelled to put it on, and it gave me a vision that told me about the Rod and your yami. I wanted to tell you, Malik. Please believe me. I was just... I knew how much you would hate it." Her voice came out a whisper.

"If you really wanted to protect me, you would've taken this thing away from me," he pointed out, indicating the Rod. "You could've given it to one of your friends to take back to Egypt. Not left it where I could find it!"

Isis took a deep breath to contain the flare of anger she was feeling. "I didn't leave it where you could find it, you were snooping through my things," she snapped. "Something I've asked you not to do many times before!"

"I'm sorry for that, but..." He glared at her, backing away another step and folding his arms across his chest defensively. "I really can't believe this."

"My brother, please," Isis pleaded, her hands stretched out before her in a sign of peace. "I apologize for keeping this information from you. It was wrong and I admit that. I should have told you before. But I still think it's for the best. I wouldn't do a thing differently." His eyes went wide, and she rushed to continue before he could begin yelling again. "I wouldn't! Malik, you know the way Father treats us is wrong. I can't bear watching you get hurt again and knowing that there's nothing I can do about it." Tears glistened in her eyes. "I knew that your darkness would be able to keep safe you in ways that I can't. That's why I didn't take the Rod away. It's not right for you to have that sort of life. You deserve so much more, and aside from that, you need the other half of your soul to be complete. You can't be happy unless you're whole."

"It wasn't your choice to make," he said coldly, shivering. "I just... I can't even talk to you right now."

"Malik!" She watched in dismay as he turned and walked out the back door of the Kaiba mansion, into the pouring rain. Not a moment later, Ryou entered the kitchen and followed Malik outside without so much as a glance in her direction. Bakura and Mariku were right behind him, and both of them gave her threatening glares when they noticed that she was contemplating following the two lights. Isis concealed a sigh and retreated, knowing that it wouldn't be wise to push her luck around the protective yamis. Seto, Jou, Mokuba, Yami and Yuugi had assembled in a large living room just to the left of the kitchen and were clustered around the television. None of them appeared to notice when she slipped by them on her way out the door. Or at least, that's what she thought, until she reached the front door and heard a voice that stopped her.

"You knew about this from the beginning, Ishizu-san?"

She rested a hand on the door and wished with all of her might that she wouldn't have to turn and face him, but she couldn't just leave. Slowly, she glanced back, looking into the enormous violet orbs that could make anyone feel guilty. "I did what I thought was best, Yuugi-kun," she told him softly. "Maybe my brother is right and I should have told you before... but I don't regret influencing the yamis in their decision to come to Domino City. It was the right thing to do."

Yuugi flinched, and she realized that none of them had known her part in this ran that deep. "Malik is really upset," he said hesitantly, twining his fingers together. "But... I think he'll forgive you."

Her eyes flicked past Yuugi, to where Yami stood hovering protectively in the shadows. Malik wasn't the only one who benefitted from having his darker half around. She'd been around Yuugi for years; she could've taken the Puzzle away from him and prevented him from solving it, and Yuugi no doubt knew it. "And you and Ryou?" she asked with a half smile, almost afraid to hear what the answer would be. "Will you?"

The younger boy said nothing, but then again, she didn't really need a vocal answer. It was all there in the way he looked at her and smiled, just a bit. Isis felt relief, light and sweet, flow through her and knew that she probably looked foolish, but she didn't care. She smiled broadly at Yuugi, not daring to touch him with Yami so close, and opened the door to step out into the rain. Her next task would be the same as always... trying to track down the other two Millennium items before Pegasus did. But somehow even the prospect of that was no longer daunting, now that she knew there was at least a chance that she could repair things between her and Malik.

**GMA**

The stormy look on Malik's face was matched only by the actual storm that was going on above them. Ryou glanced at his friend out of the corner of his eye, studying the blond, before he sighed. Bakura and Mariku were no doubt hovering in the kitchen, and he suspected that the two of them were being watched, but at least the yamis seemed to have enough sense to stay back and not approach. It was clear from his rigid stance that the last thing Malik wanted was to be reminded of just what his sister had gotten him into. Unfortunately, he also knew that Malik needed to talk about it. He edged closer to the other boy and, after another crack of thunder and echoing flash of lightening, spoke.

"You're upset about more than just Ishizu-san, I can tell. What's wrong?"

"I really hate when you do that," Malik mumbled, though there was no malice in his voice. His shoulders slumped, and he stared at the ground. "I thought that when we left the clan, I would have the chance to make all of my own decisions. It was the part about life on the surface that I was most looking forward to. When I think about being connected to Mariku for the rest of my life... I feel so trapped."

Ryou's expression softened, and he reached out to place a gentle hand on Malik's arm. "Malik, just because you have a bond with Mariku doesn't mean you have to be around him all the time. I certainly don't want to be with Bakura forever."

"Do you really think you'll have that choice?" asked Malik, sounding sceptical. "You heard them talking about that Pegasus guy and how he's trying to steal the Millennium items. Look at what he did to Kaiba and Jou. If what they're saying is true, then he'll be coming after ours at some point. Nee-san said that she believes Mariku will protect me." He rolled his eyes, looking affronted. "She's always right. That, to me, means that the yamis aren't going anywhere anytime soon. Not as long as Pegasus is a threat to any of us."

Blinking, Ryou opened his mouth and then closed it. "I hadn't thought about it that way. Shit." He dropped his head into his hands and groaned loudly. Bakura was already driving him crazy. "No wonder Yuugi looked so annoyed this morning. I meant to ask him what was wrong and I never got the chance."

"That's not the only reason," Malik said, smirking. "I walked in on him and Yami this morning."

"Walked in on them?" Ryou echoed, eyes wide. "You don't mean...?"

"Nothing like that. They were on the couch and Yuugi was sleeping with his head in Yami's lap. For someone who reportedly wants nothing to do with Yami, he looked pretty comfortable," the blond said. He'd resisted the urge to wake Yuugi up and embarrass the hell out of his friend by teasing him. None of them were having a particularly easy time dealing with their yamis and the Millennium items, and if Yuugi felt comfortable enough around Yami to sleep beside him, good for him. Malik was actually a little envious. Just being around Mariku was enough to make him remember the completely confusing kiss from the night before, and it left him feeling on edge.

"Wow," Ryou said, looking pretty impressed. He'd slept in one of the guest bedrooms the night before, but he wasn't quite sure where Bakura had been. "And you?"

"W-what about me?" Malik stuttered.

"You're blushing," said Ryou with a grin. "Spill it."

Malik sputtered and his cheeks grew even darker. He ducked his head and mumbled, "Mariku kissed me."

Out of respect for the mortified expression on Malik's face, Ryou resisted the urge to squeal; he could tell that Malik didn't really want to talk about it, so he forced himself to give a simple nod as he looked out into the pouring rain. Underneath the bubble of happiness, the news made him feel strange. Mariku had kissed Malik and Yami had slept beside Yuugi, but Bakura hadn't so much as given him a second look since he'd gotten up that morning, and they'd spent all last night arguing. Was he jealous? Ryou frowned. No, it wasn't like he _wanted_ Bakura to kiss him or sleep beside him, but he couldn't help feeling frustrated that his own yami didn't seem to care about him in the slightest. Then again, Bakura had said it himself: he was only interested in the power that Ryou and the Millennium Ring could provide. He sighed and raised a hand to finger the Millennium ring, completely unprepared for when Malik jabbed in the ribs.

"Ow! What?" he asked, glaring at Malik.

"I said, I think Bakura is waiting for you," Malik repeated, pointing to the mansion. Sure enough, Bakura was standing just outside the door, scowling in their direction.

"We're supposed to go talk to Samira-san," Ryou mumbled. As anxious as he was to find out about his father's fate, he really didn't feel like spending time with Bakura. But it had been Bakura's idea, and he didn't feel right about preventing the older boy from coming along. Besides, it was unlikely that Bakura would agree to even if he did suggest it. Reluctantly, unable to resist one last comment, he turned to his friends. "We'll talk some more later, but you know your sister loves you, and she really was just trying to protect you. Remember that, Malik."

"Good-bye, Ryou," said Malik pointedly, rolling his eyes.

Smiling to himself, Ryou left his friend and tried not to notice the glare Bakura aimed in his direction as they walked back into the house. Seto had agreed to let them borrow one of his chauffeured cars for the morning, so at least they wouldn't have to walk all the way back to his neighbourhood. Ryou was grateful about that, until he realized that he'd underestimated just how uncomfortable it would feel to be trapped in a car with Bakura. He shot a desperate glance towards Yuugi as they headed out the front door, who gave a subtle shrug and a helpless look in return. Biting back a groan, Ryou reluctantly got into the car and sat as far away from Bakura as he could possibly get. Thank god it was only about a fifteen minute drive to his house, though it ended up feeling much longer.

It was a completely silent drive, broken only by Ryou's quiet sigh of relief as the car pulled up in front of the home he had once shared with his family. He got out of the car and studied the house as Bakura joined him. Even though he had only been gone for a day, the house already felt different. There was no sign of the welcoming aura his mother had created and he'd tried hard to keep up. The solar-powered lamps that usually lined the walkway were gone, as was the stencilled name "BAKURA" that usually rested just above the mailbox. Even the little cat statue that had stood beside the door for as long as he could remember had been removed, and the steps had a fresh coat of blue paint on them. Bakura cast them a disdainful look and went around to the back of the house, where he tried the doorknob before he stepped back and cast a speculative look at the windows, obviously favouring a more stealthy approach. Ryou, who had been examining the now empty flower beds, straightened up in time to see Samira leap off of the front porch and take off running.

"Bakura, she's there!" he cried, pointing.

Swearing, Bakura raced around the side of the house and took off after her. Samira swore when she realized that he was following her and sped up. Ryou watched them disappear around the corner and then turned back to the house. Wondering what else she had changed in that short period of time, he knelt and pulled up a corner of the welcome mat to reveal a key. Smirking, he picked it up and unlocked the back door. The strong scent of oranges struck him immediately as soon as he entered, and he realized that someone - likely Samira - had been on a major cleaning whirlwind. Every surface in the kitchen was absolutely shining. Curious, he stepped over to the cupboard and opened it. His eyebrows rose when he realized that not only had the insides been cleaned and painted, the contents had been removed from every single one.

"What the hell was she planning?" he muttered, entering the living room. The old chair his father had loved to sit in was gone, and the other furniture had been rearranged to help cover the absence. Many of the pictures that had once adorned the walls had vanished, and it looked as though even the walls had been scrubbed down. Ryou frowned and moved on, noticing that other things were missing: all of the ornaments and pictures from other rooms, everything from the bathroom, the coats and shoes in the downstairs closet... Just how had Samira found the time to do so much in less than twenty-four hours?

There was still no sign of Bakura, so he felt safe in mounting the stairs to check out the rest of the house. Everything was gone in the rooms that Yuugi and Malik usually slept in, and he could tell at a glance that they had interrupted Samira in packing up his father's room. There were several boxes on the bed and floor, and half of Osamu's books had been neatly packed already. Ryou frowned and walked past the doorway, peeking into his own room. It looked virtually untouched, but he didn't get the chance to examine it closely. His attention was immediately caught by the fact that the door to Amane's room was open. A sinking feeling filled him as he approached the room, his footsteps heavy. Surely, not even Samira would have dared to...?

But yes, apparently, she would have. He stared in horror at the room that had once belonged to his big sister, a room that had been untouched for years. Books, ornaments, pictures, clothing, shoes, stuffed animals... everything had been placed into boxes that had been sealed with packing tape. Her bed had been stripped and the mattress was missing, her small television and cordless phone were gone, and it looked as though someone had already begun painting over the soft pink color on the wall. Feeling almost frozen, Ryou stepped over to several garbage bags that had been piled in one corner of the room. He opened it and found Amane's favourite stuffed animal right on top: a beautiful, bright purple bunny with floppy ears. She'd slept with it every single night, even after she'd turned thirteen and decided that she was too old to play with toys. The feel of the soft fur beneath his fingers made tears well up in his eyes, and he impulsively clutched the toy to his chest as he heard the sound of voices below.

"Sit there and don't fucking move," Bakura was snarling as he shoved Samira down on the couch. He stood over her with his arms folded, just daring her to try something so that he could take his temper out on her. "Rabbit, where are you?"

"Right here," Ryou said softly, appearing in the door of the living room. He was still holding onto Amane's bunny. A curious look passed over Bakura's face when he turned and saw Ryou, but he made no comment. Samira, on the other hand, had no problem making up for Bakura's silence.

"I suppose you saw your sister's room," she said, rubbing her cheek, where a large bruise had formed. Bakura smirked. "Your father asked me to clean it out, you know. After you left, we decided that it was time that he moved to a brand new house. All of these memories cluttering up his life..." She shook her head and shuddered dramatically. "It's no wonder that he never came to visit you. Beats me how anyone could live in a place like this."

Ryou flinched. "You're lying. Otou-san wouldn't have asked you to do that. He was the one who wanted Nee-chan's room to stay that way."

Samira rolled her eyes and sighed derisively. "Poor, naive little Ryou-kun. Why would he want to stay here without his family? Your mother and sister are dead and you abandoned him." She smiled cruelly when Ryou winced again.

"Just when did he tell you that?" Bakura broke in, glaring at her. "Because it looks to me like an awful lot of work has been done in this house, and you only got here yesterday. Considering you told my hikari that his father went missing just last night that means you've been awfully busy for a woman whose husband has gone missing."

"I've been trying not to think about it," she said defensively, glowering back at him. "This has been my way of coping, following his last wish. My husband went out to fetch dinner yesterday and never came back. A ransom note was delivered in his place. How do you think that makes me feel?"

"Yeah, right. Tell someone who cares." The older boy rolled his eyes and sneered. "You must truly think that I was born yesterday if you believe I'm going to buy that. Rabbit, did you find anything? Rabbit!"

"What?" Ryou looked up, startled. "Oh, no. I didn't get a chance to look very closely." His fingers clenched around the bunny. "I don't know whether she's telling the truth or not."

"I'll guard her. Go look," ordered Bakura.

Even though it was the last thing he felt like doing, Ryou obediently and silently followed his yami's orders. He began searching the house methodically, looking in all of his father's favourite hiding places, but several minutes of steady searching yielded no results. Samira's story about his father having disappeared was looking like the truth, but he would have felt better if he could have glanced through _all_ of his father's things. Some of his clothing, as well as a suitcase and some books, were missing. Had his father been called back to Egypt unexpectedly and that's why his things were gone? But then why wouldn't he have returned Ryou's calls? Perhaps Samira was telling the truth and he really had been kidnapped... but then why give the ransom note to her and not Ryou if what they wanted was the Millennium Ring? There were so many things that didn't add up. It was making his head hurt.

The last place he looked was in his own bedroom, and ironically, that's where he found at least part of the answer he was searching for. When he was younger, Emiko used to write little notes and slip them under his pillow so that when he woke up, he would find them. On impulse, Ryou sat down on his bed and slipped his hand underneath the pillow. His brown eyes widened when he felt the corner of paper. Slowly, he drew out the single sheet and examined it. It had been folded neatly several times, and his name had been scrawled across the top in Osamu's handwriting, which would be difficult but not impossible for someone to replicate. Ryou swallowed hard and opened the letter, skimming it silently. Before he'd even gotten halfway through, he had to stop. His fingers shook as he folded up the letter and tucked it into his back pocket. He had just picked up Amane's bunny when he heard shouting coming from downstairs.

"Fuck you, Tomb Robber!" Samira screamed, followed by the shattering of glass. Ryou made a dash for the stairs as she continued, "You thought you could pull one over on me? Please. You are no match for my master's magic, especially when the bond with your hikari isn't even fully formed."

"Bakura!" A dark flash of light lit the living room as Ryou raced in. "Bakura!" he cried again, spotting his yami. Bakura was lying in a heap on the ground all the way across the room. There was blood on the wall, and a small pool of it had formed around his body. Ryou ran to him and fell to his knees beside the taller boy as Samira stood up from the couch, wearing a cocky smile. She smirked at Ryou when he glanced up at her in fear but made no move to attack either of them. Instead, she held up a hand and frowned, her eyes narrowed in concentration. A long, deep red rod with a razor sharp spear attached to the end formed in her hand, pointing directly at the two of them, as she spoke in a soft purr.

"You have one minute to give me the Millennium Ring, Rabbit, or I'll kill your precious yami."

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Please review!


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N:**Thanks for all the reviews. So many complaints about the cliffhanger... I guess I am evil that way, aren't I? It was fun for me, anyway. I tried to describe Samira as best I could in this chapter, but for anyone who can't figure it out/wants a better look, it should be relatively easy to figure out who she is. For those who can't, more specific details will be given in the next chapter. There will be more of Malik and Mariku, too. In the meantime, as always, I encourage you all to enjoy.

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For several tense minutes, Ryou simply stared at Samira and the wicked-looking spear she was holding, too shocked to respond and too confused to know what to do. She had made it clear that she was not leaving without the Millennium Ring, but even though he had claimed that he was prepared to give the Ring up in exchange for his father, that was turning out to be much easier said than done. His fingers trembled as he lifted his hand and lightly touched the Ring. The thought of allowing someone to take it away was nearly unbearable, but he couldn't just sit there and let her hurt Bakura. It wasn't like he really cared about Bakura (because he didn't, damn it), but that didn't change the fact that Bakura was the other half of his soul, and he honestly didn't know what he would do without him.

"Go away," he said at last, trying to sound more composed than he really was. He chanced a look down at the unconscious form of Bakura. If he stalled long enough, would Bakura wake up and help him? "I'm not giving you what you want."

"Then I'll kill both of you and simply take what I want," she said with a smirk, lifting the spear over her head and taking a step forward. She brought it down in a sharp motion as Ryou cried out and scrambled in front of Bakura, shielding him with his body. The end of the spear stopped less than an inch from the top of his head and he flinched backwards as she laughed, clearly enjoying his terror. "Give me the Ring, Rabbit, or my next attack won't miss."

"No! Don't! Please. I... I'll give it to you." His hands were shaking when he reached up to grasp the Millennium Ring, and in spite of his claim, he couldn't quite bring himself to remove it. "Why are you doing this?"

"My master desires all of the Millennium items," Samira said coldly, looking annoyed by his question. "My assignment was to get the Millennium Ring, and I was told that you were the hikari." She shrugged. "The easiest way to get the Ring was to find a way into your life so that I would be able to monitor you. If I'd known that your father already had it, I wouldn't have even bothered to return here with him." Gritting her teeth, she made a strange hissing sound. "That foolish human... He kept the Ring a secret from me, and _you_ were too stupid to give it to me when I told you to in the first place. Now you will all suffer for your decision." As she spoke, she hefted the spear and came at the two of them again.

Instinctively, Ryou closed his eyes and cringed, waiting for the pain, but much to his surprise, it never came. Instead, cold fingers wrapped around his ankle, and he gasped softly as a strange, pulsing feeling rushed through his body. A bight began to flicker, and he opened his eyes to see that the Millennium Ring was flashing in tune to the pulses still going through him. Samira was backing away from the two of them, holding her spear up for defence, as a bug-like creature formed in the corner of the room. It was tall and green, with horns, a mouth full of gleaming teeth, and vicious claws on its hands and feet. Ryou gulped and scrambled backwards as best he could when Bakura's hand was still holding onto his ankle.

"What... what is that?" he stammered, looking down at Bakura. The older boy's eyes were just barely open, and he could see that Bakura's lips were moving, softly chanting words in a language he didn't understand.

The creature leapt at Samira, who instinctively thrust her spear up to block the attack. A blinding flash lit up the room, and when it vanished, Samira was completely unrecognizable to the young woman who had once cuddled up to Osamu. She was now garbed in a short, tight yellow dress and had turquoise wings. Her hair had turned a soft purple and she had horns, but what really disturbed Ryou was that her eyes were a deep well of darkness – a pupil-less void of black. Without hesitating, 'Samira' rammed the spear she was holding deep into the bug's side, causing it let out a voiceless shriek of pain. 'Samira' backed off a safe distance, holding her spear at the ready.

"Give it up, bug," she hissed. "You can't win. _Shining Scepter Blast_!"

Dodging the blast of power easily, the creature leapt at 'Samira' with a roar. The two of them collided with enough force to send them both through the front window and out onto the lawn. 'Samira' saw her chance and quickly jumped to her feet while the bug was still trying to pick itself up. She started limping down the street, moving as fast as she could when there was a deep gash in her left leg. Squealing and clicking its horns together, the bug scuttled after her. Dazed, Ryou watched until he could no longer see them before he looked down at Bakura, feeling like he was caught in some weird nightmare. His yami's eyes had closed, and Bakura's breathing was slow and deep, though the grip around Ryou's ankle had not lessened in the slightest. That touch was almost... comforting, in a way.

"Did I really just see what I think I saw?" he whispered to Bakura, blinking slowly as an exhaustion so profound and deep that it was a struggle not to simply fall over into sleep settled over him. He forced himself to reach for his cell phone and had to try three times to dial Yuugi's number. Seeing that there was no answer, he called Malik instead. After the fifth try, the call actually connected, and fortunately his friend picked up quickly.

"Hello, Malik speaking," Malik said cautiously, clearly worried that it would be Isis.

"It's me," Ryou said, rubbing his eyes with his free hand. He was so tired that it was hard to think. The Millennium Ring was still flashing around his neck, though the seconds between each flash grew longer each time. "Can you come to my house?"

"What's wrong?" said Malik, instantly on alert. "Ryou?"

"I just... need you to come." Without waiting for an answer, he flipped his phone shut and dropped it on the floor. He knew that Malik and probably Mariku would come as soon as they could, but there was no way that he would be able to stay awake for the time that it would take them to arrive. Moving slowly and with great effort, he pried Bakura's hand off of his ankle and then lay down beside the older boy, not protesting when Bakura's arm found its way around his waist and yanked him closer. Noticing that Amane's bunny was still on the ground where he'd dropped it, Ryou picked it up and cuddled the toy against his chest as he rested his forehead against Bakura's shoulder. Sleep swept over him almost instantly.

**GMA**

Not long after Ryou and Bakura departed, Yuugi pulled Jou aside and spoke to him quietly for a moment before the two of them slipped out of the room. He was feeling worried about his grandfather, and as much as he would have liked to stick around and make sure that Malik didn't try to murder Mariku, he knew that he needed to be getting home so that he could help out a little more in the shop before going back to school the next day. It wasn't good for Sugoroku to be doing so much work around the shop all by himself, which was why Yuugi tried to do as much as possible during the weekends. After all, his grandfather was already in his sixties, and he had a heart condition that had been causing him some trouble recently. When he'd spoken to the man the night before, Sugoroku had admitted that he'd felt "a bit funny" after closing up the shop, and the only reason Yuugi hadn't rushed home immediately was because Arthur and Rebecca had come for another visit. Just the thought of going home to see Rebecca there was enough to make him drag his feet.

"Sucks you have to leave already, Yuugi," Jou said, leaning against the wall with his hands in his pockets. "You'll have to come back and play some games with us again. It was nice having someone around who could give Yami an honest fight. He trounces me every time we play."

Yuugi flashed his friend a quick smile as he pulled his sneakers on. "Keep practicing, Jou. You're better than you were when we used to play. I bet you'll be able to beat Tenno at some point."

Jou snorted, his lips curling in a slow, familiar grin. "Not likely. You sure you don't wanna take Malik with you? I caught him giving Mariku the evil eye a few minutes ago. I'm a little worried about leaving the two of them alone. I think that he might try to push Mariku out the window and claim that it was an accident."

"I'm pretty sure no one would believe him," Yuugi muttered, unable to bite back a smile. Malik was nothing short of stubborn, but it appeared that Mariku had a determination to match. He wasn't sure who was going to ultimately win, but the battle was going to be fun to watch. "Sorry, Jou. I hate to leave you with those two, but Jii-chan said that he'd like to go out with Hawkins-san tonight, which means I've got to be home to mind the shop." He also wanted to tackle all of the heavy lifting and shelving of merchandise while his grandfather wasn't around, but if Jou knew that, he'd want to help, and Yuugi didn't like asking his friends to help around the shop when he and Sugoroku couldn't afford to pay them. Or anyone, for that matter.

"It's no problem. See you later." Jou tossed him a wave.

"Yup, bye." Turning, he left the house quickly and felt a sense of relief when he closed the door, even though that damnable ache was back. He rubbed his chest absently as he walked down the steps and across the grass, heading for the gate that would let him out of the Kaiba mansion grounds. There was another reason he didn't want to take Malik home, though he didn't want to say as much to Jou. Malik and Ryou didn't know about Sugoroku's heart condition, as his grandfather had asked him to keep it to himself. It was hard enough keeping a secret from his friends without flaunting it right in front of them.

His cell phone rang when he was about halfway home. Yuugi pulled his phone out of his pocket and saw that it was Ryou, but by the time he went to answer it, the phone had stopped ringing. Frowning, he made an attempt to call his friend back, but the phone went straight to voicemail. He paused, wondering whether he should made a quick stop by Ryou's. What if something was wrong? But then again, if everything was okay, it would be a wasted trip, and he was anxious to get home and make sure that Sugoroku was alright. He settled on sending Ryou a text message asking him to call back and eventually continued on, periodically checking his phone to see if he'd gotten a response. However, Ryou was totally blown out of his mind when he turned onto his street and spotted that damned car still parked in their driveway. Shoving his phone back in his pocket, he sighed.

"Shit, I hate this," he said out loud, steeling himself against the urge to turn and run back to Kaiba's. He was sure that Jou would let him in! But no... he had promised Sugoroku. Pushing his lower lip out in a full-fledged pout and wondering why his grandfather couldn't get less annoying friends, Yuugi reluctantly crossed the street. Even though it was the last thing he felt like doing, he pushed the door to the Kame Game Shop open, hoping that he would be meant by the sight of his grandfather. No such luck.

"Darling!" Rebecca squealed loudly, her eyes lighting up at the sight of him. She was still wearing the jacket she'd stolen from him, only this time it was over a lavender blouse that was paired with a pale pink skirt. Her hair was down around her shoulders, and she was beaming brightly. With a sound that could only be interpreted as a squeal, she hopped off of the stool and hurried around the counter. "I've been waiting for you."

"Hello, Rebecca-san," Yuugi said, bracing himself to be glomped. Surprisingly, it never came. Instead, an arm settled around his shoulders, instantly putting an end to the throbbing ache in his chest and leaving no doubt in Yuugi's mind as to who it was. Annoyed, he chanced a peek over his shoulder. Sure enough, Tenno was standing right behind him, looking at Rebecca with an almost amused expression. His grip, however, was entirely possessive.

"Who are you?" demanded Rebecca, stopping short at the sight of someone else laying claim to what she clearly considered to be her property. Her eyes darted from Yuugi to Tenno, taking note of the way that Yuugi stiffened slightly but failed to push the older boy away, and narrowed. Competition. "Yuugi-chan?"

A slow smirk made its way across Tenno's face at the sound of the nickname and he shifted, standing behind the younger boy. "Yuugi is _my_ aibou," he said, clearly taking delight in the way Yuugi and Rebecca choked at both the extremely familiar term and the emphasis on "my". Slow fury spread across Rebecca's face, while Yuugi just closed his eyes in utter mortification. He hadn't responded when Tenno had called him by that name once before, and now he was beginning to realize that he probably should have put a stop to it.

"I see," Rebecca said, her voice sounding strangled. "Is that true, Darling? Do you actually know this man? Is he your..." Her jaw tightened. "Boyfriend?"

Interesting question. Yuugi took a minute to consider his answer. Rebecca was a blonde-haired menace who had been trying to get into his pants for as long as he'd known her, even though he'd made it clear that nothing was going to happen between them. She refused to take 'no' for an answer and seemed utterly convinced that Yuugi was just fooling himself. On the other hand, there was already an annoying bond between he and Tenno, and he did _not_ like the idea of admitting to anything when it came to the rather possessive stalker standing behind him, much less claiming that they were in an intimate relationship. The seconds ticked by as Yuugi struggled to decide who was the lesser of two evils, and a muscle began to twitch in Rebecca's cheek as Tenno's smirk broadened.

"In case you couldn't tell, he's making an attempt not to hurt your feelings," Tenno told her smugly, running his fingers down Yuugi's chest. The younger boy shivered and then inwardly cursed himself when Tenno's other arm curled around his waist, drawing him back against the older boy's body. Good lord, why did it have to feel so damn good?

"_He_ is right here and doesn't like it when people talk about him like he's not," Yuugi mumbled, annoyed that he couldn't control his body's reaction to Tenno. Yet he still made no move to squirm free. Rebecca was definitely the more evil one, he'd decided, recognizing the predatory glint in her eyes. She'd be on him so fast he wouldn't have time to blink if she got the chance. If Tenno was willing to step between her and Yuugi, well, have at it. Yuugi certainly wasn't going to stop him.

"I thought I heard... Oh, Yuugi, you are home." Sugoroku pushed open the back door of the shop and stepped inside. His eyebrows shot up when he saw the situation, and Yuugi could practically feel the blood rushing to his cheeks as a grin crossed his grandfather's face. "And I see you brought your friend back with you. Hello, Tenno-san."

Tenno dipped his head in a nod. "Good afternoon, Mutou-san," he said politely, somehow managing to sound like he wasn't wrapped around Sugoroku's grandson.

"Rebecca-chan, I think your grandfather is looking for you," said Sugoroku, glancing at the girl. "He wanted to know if you had planned to come along with us. Perhaps you should. I don't think there will be much for you to do around here." There was an underlying note of firmness in his voice that left no question as to what Rebecca's decision would be. Hearing that, Rebecca pouted and shot a poisonous glare in Tenno's direction, her expression promising retribution.

"I guess I could get dropped off at the house," she grumbled, her attitude making it clear that it was the last thing she felt like doing. Keeping up a steady scowl, she backed up towards the door that Sugoroku had come through. Her expression became sickeningly sweet when she glanced at Yuugi. "Goodbye, my darling Yuugi-chan. The next time we see each other, we'll have to make sure that we're in a place where we don't be disturbed. Just know that I'll be waiting for you."

"Um, yeah, sure. Goodbye," Yuugi said awkwardly, breathing a sigh of relief as soon as she was gone. One evil down, one to go. Unfortunately, he didn't think that Tenno was going to be as easy to get rid of as Rebecca had been, considering that the older boy's grip had only become even more firm when he felt Yuugi trying to squirm away and Sugoroku was staring at them with a pleased look in his plum-coloured eyes. Even when he tried shooting his grandfather a desperate look, the man only chuckled and strolled over to the cash register, where he pressed a few buttons, read the results, and nodded in satisfaction.

"I'll leave things to you and your friend, Yuugi," he said cheerfully, glancing back at them. "You can close the shop a little earlier tonight if you two want the chance to watch a movie. We have some popcorn in the pantry. I probably won't be home until late, so don't wait up for me." He stepped away from the counter.

"Jii-chan..." Yuugi looked at him with concern, forgetting all about Tenno in his worry for his grandfather. Sugoroku was moving more slowly than usual, and his back was slightly stooped over, as though it pained him to straighten it. His face was pale and washed out under the lights of the shop. "Are you sure that you should be going out tonight? Maybe you should stay home and rest." Without thinking, he made to take a step forward. Much to his surprise, Tenno's arms slipped away from him easily, allowing him to cross the shop to his grandfather's side. "Did you take your medicine?"

"Don't fuss, Yuugi. I'm fine," Sugoroku admonished with a shake of his head. He'd never appreciated being fussed over, particularly when it was being done by his young grandson. "I told you, I was just a little tired from doing a bit too much in the shop. I felt perfectly fine as soon as I'd sat down and rested for a few minutes. I promise, if I wasn't feeling well, I would stay home, but it isn't like Arthur-san and I will be doing anything strenuous."

"Okay... If you're sure..." he said uncertainly, wishing that his grandfather would agree to remain home. But Sugoroku was incredibly stubborn, and if he wanted to go out, nothing would stop him. "Have fun."

Sugoroku softened and smiled broadly as he hugged Yuugi. "I will. Don't work in the shop too late, alright? Good night." He nodded to Tenno and then followed Rebecca through the back door.

Yuugi waited until he was certain that his grandfather had left before he walked over to the cash register and sat down on the little stool. Minding the shop was the last thing that he felt like doing, and he was incredibly aware of the weight of Tenno's gaze on his shoulders. Tenno hadn't made any move to leave, and it didn't look like he was going to. His crimson gaze hadn't left Yuugi since Rebecca had walked out of the shop, and he hated the fact that it didn't make him uncomfortable. Knowing that Tenno was around made him feel almost... warm. He firmly told himself that it was disturbing and hunched his shoulders.

"You don't have to stay, you know," he mumbled into the register. "I don't even know why you bothered to follow me home. I'm perfectly fine here by myself. So feel free to go back to Kaiba-san's and play video games with Jou and Mokuba-kun."

Tenno chuckled. The rich sound made Yuugi shiver. "Why would I want to do that, Aibou?" he asked. That damnable smirk was back, only this time it was directed at him instead of Rebecca, and it wasn't nearly so amusing. "You've got work to do here, and I'd like to get to know you better. You did promise to spend time with me, you know."

"That was when you were lying to me about wanting me to help you find your other half," Yuugi snapped in return. "I didn't appreciate that, by the way."

"Technically, I wasn't lying. You really were helping me to find my other half by letting yourself have time to get used to the idea," said Tenno. He shrugged. "If it really makes you feel better, I apologize for lying to you, but I'm not sorry that I did it."

"Just go home, would you?" he muttered, sliding off of the stool. He walked into the backroom, fervently hoping that by the time he came back out, Tenno would be gone... and judging by the amount of work he saw waiting for him, he wouldn't have to worry about that. Sugoroku had been having difficulty with the company that they purchased some of their rarer stock from, which meant that the shop had been low on certain items for a few weeks. Clearly things had been resolved, however, because there were at least a dozen large boxes of merchandise waiting to be unpacked and sorted. Just the thought of checking through the boxes and trying to get the store re-stocked made him exhausted. But if he didn't, his grandfather would try to do it all by himself the next day while Yuugi was at school, and he didn't like the thought of that, either.

Shoulders slumped, he picked up the master list that was lying on the counter and moved forward, knowing that putting it off would only make things worse. Sugoroku had left their knife on one of the boxes, and he picked it up, expertly pressed the knife to the top of the box, and slit the packing tape. Several boxes of a card game that had a small following stared up at him as he pulled the top of the box open. Smiling grimly, he began removing them from the box, counting silently. Once the larger box was empty, he checked off everything that had been inside on the master list. The one consolation was that he would no longer have to listen to pissed off teenagers bitching about the fact that their store was out of stock.

He moved on to the next box, which was full of smaller, loose toys that would take much longer to sort through, and began checking them off one by one. Yuugi was so focused on his task that he was unaware of just how much time had passed, or the fact that he had completely forgotten about Tenno. Or at least, he had until he became aware of the fact that someone was staring at him, and it didn't take much to guess who, since he hadn't heard the tell-tale jingle that meant the shop's door had opened. Twisting, he delivered a glare at the doorway, where Tenno was standing.

"Don't you know it's rude to stare?" he demanded.

Tenno smirked and folded his arms. Yuugi tried hard not to notice how cool the older boy looked. "I guess I just can't help myself. You're so cute when you're focused."

Yuugi's mouth dropped open, and for a moment he just stared, completely shocked by the comment. "I... I am not c-cute!" he stuttered at last, feeling heat rush to his cheeks. It definitely wasn't the first time he had been called 'cute', but it _was_ the first time that a surprisingly hot guy was the one saying it. As soon as the thought ran through his mind, he was tempted to pick up the pen and jab it through his eyes to end his misery. This could not be happening to him.

"I beg to differ," Tenno replied lightly. His eyes landed on one of the boxes that Yuugi had unpacked earlier. "Do you want me to start putting these out on the shelves?"

"I want you to go home!"

"I'm sorry, Aibou, I didn't quite catch that," he said, scooping up a couple of the boxes. He disappeared back out front before Yuugi had the chance to answer, leaving the smaller boy fuming to himself. Resolutely, he turned back to his work and settled on completely ignoring Tenno as the older boy continued to stock the shelves in between chatting with the occasional person who wandered into the shop. Between the two of them, nearly all of the boxes were unpacked and the items inside either stored or shelved, leaving only two boxes left for Sugoroku to handle by the time the shop was ready to be closed. Yuugi got up from the floor, his head aching from staring at rows and columns of numbers for too long, and stumbled back into the main part of the shop just in time to see Tenno close the cash register and hand a bag to a young girl. She beamed happily and bounced out of the store.

"Where did you learn to do that?" Yuugi asked sceptically, suddenly feeling badly for ignoring Tenno for most of the afternoon after all of the help that the older boy had given him. How was it that he could never stay angry at Tenno? It was incredibly frustrating, though he did his best to hide it as he walked over and locked the door before flipping the sign to closed.

"Do what? Use a cash register? Did you think I've never had a job before?" Tenno said, raising his eyebrows. "A couple of years ago, I had a part-time job. I didn't have it for very long before my parents found out and made me quit, but I learned a few things. Besides, most of the time they're pretty self explanatory."

"Oh." Uncertain of what to say or do, Yuugi stared at the floor and nervously twined his fingers together. He truly hated the thought of spending more time with Tenno. It never seemed to take him very long to get attached to people, and that was exactly what he was afraid was happening now. What would he do when the older boy decided that he'd had enough and just left? Why couldn't he just do that now, when it wouldn't hurt as much? Why did he have to keep pushing?

"Yuugi?"

The fact that Tenno had said his actual name was enough to make Yuugi snap to attention. His head rose, and he glanced at Tenno, chewing on his lip nervously. "Yes?"

"What's wrong?" asked Tenno gently. "I can tell you're upset." He seemed to understand that Yuugi would not have welcomed his approach and stayed by the counter.

"It's none of your business," Yuugi muttered. "How can you tell, anyway?"

Long, tanned fingers reached out and touched the Millennium Puzzle. Yuugi jumped, startled that Tenno had moved so quickly without any sound, and his owns hands rose anxiously, grabbing onto the Puzzle just in case Tenno was trying to take it from him. Their fingers met, and he felt that same soothing warmth spreading through him. It was stronger this time, just like it had been at the cafe. He closed his eyes, enjoying the sensation in spite of himself. A gentle hand cupped his cheek and tilted his head up, and when he finally opened his eyes, he saw that Tenno was leaning over him. Crimson and violet connected and Yuugi pulled in a sharp, shuddering breath.

"There's a bond between us that can never be broken, Little One," Tenno told him, his voice soft and intimate. "The Millennium Puzzle is merely a physical representation of that bond, and I will not take it from you, but I assure you that our bond will continue to exist whether or not you want to believe in it. Even once the Puzzle is gone, I will still be here, Aibou. There is no possible way to get rid of me." He released Yuugi's cheek and trailed his fingers through the younger boy's hair, prompting a shiver. A strange look passed over his face for just a moment before he smiled. "We belong together, my little hikari."

Strangely enough, Yuugi found that he was starting to believe it.

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Please review!


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N:** *falls over twitching* Do you realize that I finished this chapter literally about twenty minutes ago? I won NaNo on November 16 and oh my god, you have no idea how close you came to not having a chapter at all this week. 50,000 words original words plus eight chapters of fanfiction in two weeks... I never want to write another word in my life. My fingers are ready to fall off! It may not be up to my original quality, but enjoy the chapter...

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Malik stared down at his phone with a stunned expression, listening to the dial tone that was coming out of it. After Yuugi had left, Jou had coaxed him into playing a popular racing game that had only just been released in stores. He had agreed, if only to keep a solid barrier between himself and Mariku. When his phone had rung and he'd seen Ryou's name flashing across the screen, he'd given the controller to Mokuba and slipped out of the room without a second thought. His friend had gone off with Bakura that morning, and even though they hadn't spoken about it, he knew that Ryou was nervous about spending time with his yami, particularly when they were alone. Just what he had been expecting when he answered, he wasn't sure, but it wasn't the slurred, distant missive that he got.

"Shit, Ryou, what the hell have you gotten into now?" he muttered, shoving his phone into his pocket. Ryou and Yuugi were his dearest friends, and he loved them as much as he did his older sister. The thought that something might have happened to one of them... Malik shivered and turned, intending to rush out the door and make a run for Ryou's house. He froze when he saw that Mariku had followed him out of the game room and was standing less than a foot away from him. "Don't you people have any concept of privacy? Stop listening to my phone calls!"

"What's wrong?" Mariku asked, ignoring him completely. There was an intense look in his eyes that was oddly calming. Against his will, Malik felt himself responding to it. The urge to panic subsided, and he was able to answer without losing it.

"Ryou called me and said that I need to come to his house quickly," he said. "I think there's something wrong."

Mariku nodded, almost like he had been expecting that answer, and turned. He walked away without a single word, leaving Malik to stare after him in befuddlement. Was he supposed to follow? Why hadn't Mariku said as much? Frowning, he ventured forward, cautiously following the older boy through the halls of the house. It occurred to him, somewhat belatedly, that Mariku might have been leading him into some kind of trap with no one else around to help, but all of those thoughts flew out of his mind when he saw where they were. The garage... and Mariku was slinging a toned leg over that beautiful motorcycle that Malik had been so envious of before.

"Are you coming?" he inquired, looking deeply amused when Malik stopped in the doorway and stared with an open mouth. "I thought your friend said you had to hurry?"

"We're going... on that?" His voice came out a high-pitched squeak, and he had to swallow hard to keep from outright drooling. The motorcycle was of an expensive make and design, and had been painted a dark violet color that would absolutely shine in the sun. It was exactly the kind of machine that he had always longed to drive and had never even dreamed of owning.

"Does that make you nervous?" Mariku inquired, smirking.

"Fuck no," Malik breathed. It had slipped out before it occurred to him that letting Mariku know that he had a slight obsession with motorcycles probably wasn't a good idea. Judging by the smug grin on the older boy's face, that cat was definitely out of the bag, and he cursed himself silently as he moved through the garage and stood beside him. Mariku handed him a black helmet, which he gratefully slipped on, if only so that it would cover his burning cheeks.

"Get on. Let's go," said Mariku, flipping his visor down. Both of his feet were on the floor, holding the motorcycle in place so that Malik could climb on with no problem... in theory. In reality, there was one very big problem, which was that riding on the motorcycle behind Mariku would bring their bodies into full contact.

Mouthing a string of curses that would've made Isis freak if she'd heard, Malik gingerly threw a leg over the side of the motorcycle and straddled it, much like Mariku was doing. The ideal way to hold on was to wrap his arms around the older boy's stomach, but the thought of doing that was enough to make him wince. It was bad enough that his crotch was already snugly pressed against Mariku's backside. Cringing, he placed his hands on Mariku's shoulders and tightened his grip as he pulled his feet up from the floor and rested them against the motorcycle. He was pretty sure he felt a chuckle reverberate through Mariku's body and scowled, but before he had the chance to say anything, Mariku turned the machine on.

"Oh Ra." Malik closed his eyes, feeling like he'd died and gone to heaven at the heady sound of that thrumming purr. He was only vaguely aware of Mariku lifting his own feet and of the motorcycle finally moving forward. They coasted down Seto's driveway to the end, where a guard opened the gate to let them through.

It was frustrating, not being able to go as fast as he would have liked on the city streets. They were restricted to the laws of the road, and although Mariku didn't seem to have much respect for speed limits, he did obey stop signs and red lights, perhaps with more attention than normal because of the precious cargo he had with him. But it was still nothing short of sheer bliss, to feel the wind rushing against his helmet and body, to feel the vibrations of the powerful machine between his legs, and even to feel the heat of Mariku's body against his chest and cheek. Malik didn't even try to watch where they were going; he simply closed his eyes and relished the feeling of his first motorcycle ride ever: a moment in time that felt absolute perfect. No amount of time could have been long enough for it to last, and for that reason, it ended all too soon.

"We're here, my pretty hikari. As much as I enjoy the feel of your sexy body against mine, I think our friends are in need of some help."

"Huh?" Slowly, he opened his eyes, realizing that the motorcycle had indeed come to a stop. They were parked in front of Ryou's house. That busybody neighbour who was always scolding Ryou for being too loud was glaring out the window at them. He was... leaning against Mariku with his arms firmly wrapped around the older boy's waist. "GAH!"

Malik jerked backwards and tried to jump off of the motorcycle at the same time. He ended up losing his balance, and would've gone down face first had Mariku not casually swung an arm back and around his waist and stopped his descent. With a grace that made Malik fume, Mariku swung his left leg over the motorcycle and stood up, gently lowering his hikari to the ground. Embarrassed beyond belief, Malik stood up instantly and pulled his helmet off, refusing to look Mariku in the eye. Instead, he placed the helmet on the motorcycle and turned, heading up towards the front door as he smoothed his hair back with a hand that shook. Something was happening to him that he refused to examine too closely, something that he just wasn't ready for.

"Do you have a key?" Mariku had followed him to the door and was looking up at the house. A dark look crossed his face when he spotted the shattered front window, and his hand shot out, gripping Mariku's wrist before the younger boy could bound up the steps. "Don't. Magic has been used here, and recently. Give me the Rod and stay quiet."

"Magic?" Fear flickered into Malik's violet eyes, and he swallowed hard. Silently, he handed the Millennium Rod to Mariku and watched as the older boy removed the end, turning it into a sharp knife. He pulled Malik around to the back, where they found the door unlocked, and refused to relinquish his hold as the two of them entered the silent house. For once, Malik didn't protest being so close to his yami. Not when Ryou's life might be at stake.

Mariku stopped a few feet inside the kitchen and listened hard at the same time that he felt for anyone who would be lying in wait. When he heard and felt nothing that would indicate danger, he stepped forward, Rod at the ready, and peeked into the living room. "Fuck, Bakura," he hissed, seeing the yami and hikari passed out on the floor.

"Ryou!" Malik gave an alarmed cry when he saw the two of them and shot forward, breaking free of Mariku's grip. He knelt on the floor beside them and became even more panicked when he saw the small pool of blood that had formed. It was impossible to tell just who was wounded. "What happened? Ryou?"

"Don't wake them up," Mariku ordered in a whisper, bending down next to his frightened hikari. He rested a calming hand on the back of Malik's neck as he examined their friends, running a finger across Bakura's forehead before touching the Millennium Ring. Malik watched him closely and found himself unprepared for the look of mingled worry and relief that flashed across Mariku's face. "Bakura has a mild concussion and a cut on his temple from a piece of glass, but he'll probably be fine. He has a hard head. Both of them are just sleeping. I sense that Bakura summoned a duel monster. It would have taken a lot of energy at this point, especially because the bond between he and Ryou isn't fully formed. But they'll be okay."

Sweeter words had never spoken. Malik slumped with relief, feeling all of his breath leave in a resounding _whoosh_. He couldn't ever remember feeling as scared as he had been, when he'd seen Ryou on the floor. Even though he was highly conscious of Mariku's gaze, he found himself reaching out and gently stroking his friend's hair, wondering what it meant to summon a duel monster (wasn't that some kind of card game?) and why Bakura had been forced to do so. From the sound of it, something had attacked. Who? The woman they were coming to speak to? Or someone else?

Vaguely, he was aware of Mariku speaking into his cell phone, and he caught enough words to know that the older boy had called Seto and Jou for help, which meant reinforcements wouldn't be long in arriving. That was a relief; he would be glad to get out of the house and away from the strange, heavy feeling that still lingered in the air. As they waited patiently for their friends to arrive, Mariku's hand, which was still on the back of his neck, began to gently rub a series of small, soothing circles onto his skin. It felt oddly reassuring, to the point where he didn't even want to knock the hand away, even though a small voice inside of him said that he should.

**GMA**

A knock on the door and his grandfather's voice calling his name woke Yuugi the next morning. He sat up and blinked, looking around in confusion when he realized that he was in his bed, wearing the same t-shirt and pants that he'd been wearing the day before. His shoes had been neatly placed at the foot of the bed, and the Millennium Puzzle was next to him, within each reach. Yuugi picked it up and frowned, realizing that he had no memory of his grandfather coming home or of going to bed the night before. The last thing he remembered was, well... after Tenno had helped him to close the shop, he'd felt so badly about being rude that they had ended up ordering pizza for dinner and had watched a movie while eating.

"Jii-chan must have put me to bed," he muttered, refusing to think of the alternative. There was just enough time for him to take a quick shower before he got dressed in a fresh uniform, brushed his hair, and tied the Puzzle back around his neck. Sugoroku was waiting for him in the kitchen with a plate of eggs and toast, but he couldn't help noticing that the man wasn't eating anything himself.

"I'm not hungry," said Sugoroku, having apparently caught the look. "But that doesn't mean I can't sit down and enjoy a breakfast with my grandson. Would you like some milk?"

There was an underlying harshness to his grandfather's voice that warned him not to say anything. Yuugi frowned and sat down at his spot, looking at the meal in front of him. "Yes, please. How was your night, Jii-chan?"

"Wonderful," his grandfather replied, eyes lighting up. He set a glass of milk down beside Yuugi's plate and took a seat with a cup of coffee. "Some of the things that they've been finding in Egypt lately are truly fascinating, Yuugi. Makes me wish I was a younger man so that I could go on some expeditions of my own."

"You're still young, Jii-chan," Yuugi told him, lifting a forkful of eggs to his mouth. He forced himself to be casual when he said, "So what time did you get in last night?"

"Around midnight. I was glad to see that you hadn't waited up for me since you have school today," came the answer.

That meant he had already been in bed when his grandfather came home. Yuugi stared intently at his plate, feeling the tips of his ears beginning to burn with mortification. If Sugoroku hadn't carried him up, that meant Tenno had, and the very idea was humiliating. He hated being treated like a child, so why did he keep putting himself into situations that allowed Tenno Yami to do just that? In the short time since the two of them had known each other, the older boy had put him into bed _twice_. Twice! Not to mention, he'd also fallen asleep on the man's lap two nights ago and spent the whole night like that. What was it about Tenno that made it so very easy to fall asleep around him, and why the hell did Yuugi keep giving into it?

"Yuugi? Are you alright? You're very red. Do you feel sick?" Sugoroku asked, eyeing his grandson with some concern. He started to each out, intending to feel Yuugi's forehead, and was thwarted when Yuugi pulled back sharply with a shake of his head.

"I'm fine, Jii-chan. Just not very hungry," he mumbled, poking at his meal, which in the wake of his embarrassing realization suddenly looked a lot less appetizing. Fortunately, he had the perfect excuse, in that if he didn't leave soon, he was going to be late. He dumped most of his food into the garbage and set his plate in the sink before giving his grandfather a quick kiss on the cheek. Grabbing his backpack from the front hall where he'd left it, he headed out the door at a run.

Surprisingly, he didn't meet up with either of his friends on the way to school as was their normal routine, even though neither of them had left him a text message saying otherwise. Yuugi wasn't too disappointed, though. He was glad to have the time to himself so that he could think about Tenno. How was he supposed to react towards the older boy? Last week, he had studiously ignored him and pretended that Tenno didn't exist. After this weekend, though, that would be practically impossible. Would Tenno _want_ to ignore him? If the older boy cared anything for his reputation, the answer would be a resounding 'yes'. His lack of popularity could drag anyone down, even the most popular guy in the school. So what should he do? Ignore Tenno and wait to see what Ryou and Malik were doing? Say hi? Walk over to him and thank him for the help he'd done last night? What?

Groaning, Yuugi rubbed his forehead. "I have got to stop thinking about this," he whispered, feeling foolish. He was acting no better than a lovesick teenager and it was humiliating. "I do not like Tenno. I don't even want to be around him. So why would I care? I just have to remember that. I do not like Tenno. I do not like Tenno. I do _not_ like Tenno, damn it."

Scowling, he gave an assured nod and strode onto the school grounds, searching for Ryou and Malik. He didn't see either of them, and only then did he really begin to worry. Ryou was a stickler for being on time. It was unusual for him to be late. Concerned, he pulled out his phone and checked for messages, only to discover that it was dead. Damn. He'd been so preoccupied with Tenno the night before that he'd forgotten to plug it in. No wonder he hadn't heard from them. Yuugi glanced up and looked around, very aware of the fact that more than a few people were staring at him. It took some effort to keep a small smile on his face as he began striding towards the building, hoping that there would be a pay phone. He was completely unprepared for the hand that fell on his shoulder.

**GMA**

Tenno Yami had been having an unusual week and he was completely unprepared for how to deal with it. His whole world had been turned upside down by the appearance of three little lights, and by one boy in particular. Spending time with Yuugi was a lot more enjoyable than he had ever anticipated. He'd always thought that being with his other half would be something he _had_ to do, not something he_ wanted_ to do. But it had actually been fun, helping Yuugi out in the shop and then having pizza and watching a movie. The younger boy treated him like a regular, if somewhat annoying, person, which was something Yami wasn't used to. Even his own friends could sometimes treat him a little differently when they remembered who he was, but Yuugi? He liked that.

What he wasn't so sure about was the way he felt towards Yuugi. Yes, he'd known that the younger boy was his other half, but he hadn't expected to feel so strongly towards him so soon. Just seeing Yuugi was enough to set off a protective instinct that he hadn't even realized he possessed. He didn't want anyone touching the boy, and god help the first person who actually hurt him, because Yami wasn't sure he would be able to hold back. It was a chilling realization. Somehow, Yuugi had become extremely important to him in just a short amount of time. How had that happened? Why wasn't he more willing to put a stop to it?

"Fuck," he muttered, running a hand through his hair and garnering a few curious looks from his friends. It wasn't like he could ask for some time apart to get his thoughts together, either. Yuugi was only just beginning to come around to the idea of the two of them actually being partners. If Yami didn't keep up with that, the younger boy would undoubtedly slip away from him. And to be honest, he just didn't want to. If Pegasus came sniffing around, Yami wanted to be there to kick the man's ass.

Soft whispers distracted him from his thoughts, and he glanced up to see Yuugi walking across the grounds towards the school. Apparently his little hikari hadn't noticed the seven of them sitting in the shade of a tree. Bakura was seated against the trunk, a weary look on his face. His arms were loosely wrapped around Ryou, who was curled up in a small ball, slumbering deeply. Really, the two of them should have been at home, but there was safety in numbers. Mariku and Malik were sitting side by side, and there was a concerned look on Malik's face. He was so preoccupied that he didn't even noticed Mariku edging closer. Seto was typing on his laptop, and Jou had his head in his boyfriend's lap. None of them seemed to notice that Yuugi had arrived, which meant it was up to him to attract his hikari's attention. Well, if you insist.

Gracefully, Yami rose and walked after the shorter boy, catching up to him easily. He laid a hand on Yuugi's shoulder and sucked in a sharp breath at the soothing feeling that radiated up his arm. Now there was a feeling that a man could easily become addicted to. Yuugi swung around, eyes wide, and looked up at him with a faint blush. Yami smiled down at him and dropped his hand from Yuugi's shoulder, leaving it held open before him. Wanting Yuugi to agree to the fact that Yami had a claim on him in front of everyone. For a moment, he thought Yuugi would protest or walk away. The boy was hesitating, and his beautiful violet eyes were anxious when he glanced up at Yami. But then slowly, his hand slipped into Yami's, and all was right with their world.

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Please review!


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N:** Thanks for all of the reviews. You can't imagine how much I enjoy reading them. For the most part. At least until it was pointed out to me that since I'm trying to devote time to all three of the couples in this story, it was time that I introduce Bakura's POV. My reaction to this was along the lines of "ah crap" and an instant urge to run in the opposite direction. I'm not used to Bakura or Mariku at all, so forgive me if I've completely screwed up his POV in this chapter. I did my best? *sigh* Um... Enjoy?

* * *

The kid was weak.

That was the conclusion that Takahashi Bakura had come to within minutes of meeting Bakura Ryou for the first time. He was small, almost petite, with a figure that some (many) might (would) have called feminine. Always polite, with a penchant for keeping things clean and neat, and a perpetual need to be on time. Generally wore a smile on his face, didn't handle pain very well at all, and apparently cared nothing for power. Exactly the kind of person that Bakura had taught from his early childhood to hate. The two of them might have_ looked_ physically similar, with the same white hair and brown eyes, but like true ying and yang, they were in reality, complete opposites.

And yet. Somehow, Ryou had stood up to him, which was something that few people had the courage to do. Even Jou, who had known him for a few years now, still had the tendency to quail under Bakura's darkest glares. Of course, that might just be because the blond was fully aware of just what Bakura could and would do, but still. That boy had faced him without the slightest bit of hesitation and snapped back at him even when Bakura grew threatening. Ryou had been fully prepared to give up the kind of power that the Millennium Ring could grant, and for what? It had been obvious from day one that the kid's father cared nothing for him, but that hadn't stopped Ryou from being ready to hand over the Ring anyway.

Bakura didn't understand Ryou, and that was beginning to drive him crazy. Scowling, he opened one eye slightly and glanced down at the boy that was still loosely encircled in his arms. Ryou had been sleeping pretty much non-stop since the day before. He'd awoken earlier that morning at Bakura's insistence for just enough time to get dressed before he had passed out again. Admittedly, it took a hell of a lot of energy to summon a duel monster in the real world, and he had stolen quite a bit of said energy from his hikari, but did the kid have to be so damn _weak_ about it? Hadn't he ever learned that weakness could be used against him?

It was a lesson Bakura had learned young. His parents had died when he was a child. In front of him. Apparently, his weakling of a father had pissed off the wrong people, and both of his parents had paid the price. The only reason that Bakura had survived was because he'd had the intelligence to actually stay hidden, unlike his mother, who had run to her husband's aid during the attack and ended up forfeiting her own life in the process. Since then, he'd been passed around to quite a few relatives before ending up with the "black sheep" of the family. An uncle who had gone to great lengths to show Bakura exactly why it was much easier – and a hell of a lot more fun – to be on the wrong side of the law than the right one. No weaknesses, no caring, and no time for stupid things like bonds or family or... his face curled up into a sneer... _love_. Not even the Pharaoh's reappearance in his life had been able to take those lessons from him.

As though sensing that Bakura was thinking about him, Yami glanced over at him, crimson eyes narrowed slightly. He was sitting on the ground with Yuugi beside him, within arm's reach at Yami's insistence. The quiet understanding that existed between the two of them was enough to make Bakura scowl in return. It figured that the Pharaoh would be so cozy with his light already, but then, there was nothing holding him back. Unlike Yami, Bakura remembered everything about his previous life. That knowledge had allowed him to hide as a child and not attract attention to himself, and it had ensured that he actually survived his uncle's "teaching". Unfortunately, it also meant that he recalled in detail the explanation given to him of the ceremonial sacrifice. The power he had craved so much... and the things he would have to do to get it. Things like the boy that was curling into him.

Love. Caring. Emotional attachments had never been Bakura's thing, not even when he was a little kid. They were _weaknesses_, and there was nothing he abhorred more than a weakness. Power was all that mattered in the world, and Ryou and the Millennium Ring were his way to getting it. He should have been able to use Ryou to further strengthen the bond to the point where he could use the Ring, and then toss the boy away like he meant nothing at all. That had been his plan from the start, regardless of how many times Yami had scolded him for it. It was still his plan even now. The problem was...

Ryou sighed, a soft whimper, and pressed his nose into Bakura's neck.

Bakura's arms tightened. Ever so slightly. Unconsciously.

Softly, under his breath... "Fuck."

**GMA**

Yuugi was not having the best day at school. True, his question of how he was supposed to act around Tenno had been answered almost immediately when the older boy appeared before him in the schoolyard and extended a hand to him. He'd been very aware of the other students openly staring when he summoned up the courage to put his hand into Tenno's. But... that hadn't really meant anything, right? After all, it wasn't like he_ liked_ Tenno. Or did he? Those kinds of thoughts had been flying around his head all morning, making it difficult to concentrate on his work. Everything the teacher had said had done straight over his head. One week at his new school and already his grade point average was going downhill.

Then he'd discovered that he'd forgotten his lunch and that he had no money to buy one. Fine, he could deal with skipping another meal. No big deal. He was looking forward to having some time to talk to Ryou and Malik without the others around, but that thought had been wiped from his mind when he got to the roof and saw Ryou sleeping in Bakura's arms (apparently he would recover faster with constant contact with Bakura) and Malik sitting beside Mariku (he wasn't sure about that one). At least the blond had the decency to give him a sheepish look as Tenno beckoned to him. Only because he had the sneaking suspicion that Tenno would have followed him if he'd turned and run made Yuugi cross the roof to them and sit down. Conveniently, the only open space was next to Tenno himself.

And now he was being glared at. Quite harshly. By a lot of people. Yuugi clenched his fingers nervously as he made a valiant attempt to withstand the burning itch of all of the stares. A lot of people ate lunch on the roof, and about sixty percent of them were girls. Girls who were apparently crushing hard on Tenno Yami. Girls who didn't understand why Yuugi was the one who was lucky enough to sit right next to Tenno, close enough that their shoulders and thighs were touching. He would have dearly loved to explain to them that they were _more_ than welcome to take his seat, but the combined force of their glowering had made the words die in his throat. It was easier to sit silently and hope that it really was impossible to be set on fire just from the sheer strength of the heated glares.

One girl finally stopped glaring and instead managed to summon up the nerve to approach. She had been watching the small group with some confusion for several minutes. Normally, the five most popular boys in school were an island unto themselves, with the other students circulating but not daring to get too close. Mazaki Anzu was one of the few who had successfully begun to infiltrate them, and she saw no reason why things should change. It was with that thought in mind that she left her friends and crossed the roof, taking full advantage of the grace that only a dancer could possess. Her small hands were holding onto a neatly wrapped box, which she presented to Tenno as all seven of the conscious boys looked up at her at once.

"Yami-san, I made this for you," she said shyly.

Tenno blinked up at her, seemingly caught off-guard. Yuugi glanced at him, wondering what he would do. He watched as Tenno slowly took the box and held it with the tips of his fingers. "Thank you," he said stiffly. Bakura snorted, his previous ill mood washed away by a growing smirk.

"I... I hope you enjoy it," Anzu said hastily. Before Tenno could respond, she spun on her heel and hurried away with hips swaying, but not before Yuugi caught sight of the blush growing on her cheeks. Admittedly, he was a little surprised by her actions. He remembered Anzu from elementary school; she had been a popular girl, but that had never stopped her from being kind to the rest of her classmates. Once or twice, they had even played together, but then Anzu had become involved in a dance club, and Yuugi had found Jou, Ryou, and Malik, and that was the end of that. The Anzu he recalled had been a confident, spunky spitfire who didn't know the meaning of the word 'shy'. Either something had happened, or she really had it bad for Tenno Yami. Judging by the look on Tenno's face, it was the latter.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" Tenno asked, looking resigned. "Jou...?"

"Sorry, Yami." Mouth twitching with suppressed amusement, Jou rolled onto his side. His head was propped up against Seto's thigh. It seemed to be one of his favourite positions. "Not even I would dare to eat what Mazaki cooked for you. She almost caught me last time, and I thought she was going to push me over the side of the roof. And since my boyfriend didn't do anything but stand there and laugh..." He accompanied the comment with a pointed poke to Seto's thigh. The brunette just smirked.

"What did she make you?" Malik asked, curious.

Placing the box on his lap, Tenno pried the top off with the tips of his fingers to reveal the contents within. The bento had been sectioned into compartments, and each one held a treat that had been created with him in mind. Tenno sighed with frustration, an almost pained look crossing his face, and Yuugi knew in a flash that the older boy didn't know how to deal with Anzu's unwanted affection. It was... kind of endearing. In a move that surprised even himself, he reached out and picked up one of the rice balls. He fully enjoyed the shocked look on Tenno's face as he brought it back to his mouth and took a tiny bite.

"What?" he asked when he was done chewing, a perfect picture of innocence. "She can't do anything if everyone shares. If you eat even a little bit of it, that will make her happy, and you'll come off looking like a good person for having shared with your friends." His voice grew softer, and he dropped his gaze, fighting back the urge to blush.

Friends. The word hung between them, feeling almost tangible. Tenno's eyes were wide for a moment before the harsh crimson gaze suddenly softened. Without a word, Tenno picked up a thin skewer that had both fruit and cheese on it and passed the bento to Mariku and Malik for them to pick out whatever they liked. Even Jou found the courage to take a rice ball and a sausage cut into the shape of a flower. Looking faintly nauseous, Bakura refused all food, but Seto accepted one of the skewers. By the time lunch was over, the bento had been passed around another three times, and it was mostly empty. Best of all, there was a thrilled look on Anzu's face, visible even across the roof.

"Thank you, Aibou," Tenno whispered to him, ducking his head so that he could speak directly into Yuugi's ear.

That time, Yuugi did blush. He couldn't help it. "I didn't really do anything," he mumbled, uncomfortable with the remark. It had been partly selfish on his part, because he'd been so hungry after not having had a lunch of his own, and he didn't like the thought of Tenno reading too much into it. "I mean... you did chase Rebecca-san away. The least I could do was help you with Anzu-san."

Something between them had shifted, and now Tenno's smile was almost knowing. "You have my thanks anyway, Little One," he said, rising to his feet. "Bakura, are you going to stay here with Ryou?"

Bakura nodded shortly without speaking. He hadn't said much during the meal, which was unusual for him. Normally he never missed an opportunity to mock Tenno in some way, especially when it came to Anzu, or a chance to start something with Mariku. But his face was so pale and his grip so tight on Ryou that not even Mariku had the nerve to make a comment. The small white bandage on his temple, combined with the livid bruising on the side of his face, made Yuugi wince in sympathy every time he caught sight of the injuries. It had to hurt, but Bakura hadn't protested, and for once Tenno had no intention of making his friend go to class.

"We'll wait for you after school," he told him, placing a hand on Yuugi's shoulder. He steered his reluctant hikari away as the second warning bell rang, indicating that they had less than five minutes to get to class. Still, Yuugi resisted, glancing anxiously over his shoulder at their friends.

"Will they be alright?" he asked, eyes wide with concern. "What if something happens to them?"

"I doubt anyone would dare attack in such a public place," said Tenno with a comforting squeeze as he pushed the door open. "If something did happen, Mariku and I would be able to sense it, and we would come and help. They'll be alright, Aibou, I promise. Ryou will probably sleep for the rest of the afternoon, and I suspect that once we're gone, Bakura will, too."

Yuugi glanced up at him and hesitated, wondering it was really okay. Uncertain of whether or not it was safe to put his trust in Tenno Yami. There were few things he valued more than the lives of his best friends. But Tenno's crimson eyes were warm and reassuring, and he found himself nodding slowly, realizing that the older truly believed that Ryou and Bakura would be fine. He stepped into the stairwell and allowed Tenno to close the door, cutting off his last view of the peaceful couple out on the roof. As he turned to go down the stairs for even more classes that he would pay absolutely no attention to, he prayed that the two of them would pass a peaceful afternoon, because he wasn't sure how much more any of them could take.

**GMA**

Ryou wasn't even that tired, in all honesty. No, really. It was more like every ounce of energy had been sucked out of his body all at once, leaving him with the ability to do only one thing: look like he was asleep even though his mind was aware and racing. Sure, he sometimes drifted off into an actual slumber, but for part of the day he had been conscious enough to listen to the conversation around him, and alert to the point where he could recognize the arms that were often around him as belonging to Bakura. The heavy exhaustion weighing him down didn't seem quite as bad when Bakura was holding onto him. Sometimes he was even able to summon up enough strength to shift into a more comfortable position, though that always made him drift off afterwards. Towards the middle of the afternoon, he was actually able to open his eyes and look around.

The first thing he became aware of was the pleasant breeze that was teasing the ends of his hair and stroking his cheeks. Ryou blinked and sighed quietly, enjoying the sensation after hours of being trapped inside of his depleted body. Almost instantly, the arms around his waist tensed, and then, like a bolt of lightning, Bakura was standing next to him, face set in an icy glare. Dazed by the sudden change, Ryou could only lean against the wall on the spot that Bakura had just vacated and stare up at his yami silently. That spot was still warm and he couldn't help shivering a little.

"Bakura," he said finally, his voice hoarse. His eyes stung from the brilliance of the sun, and he could just barely make out the bruising on Bakura's face. Inwardly, he cringed, remembering that dreadful moment when he'd walked into his living room and seen Bakura unconscious on the floor. "Are you alright? Did she hurt you?"

"I'm not a weakling like you," Bakura answered coolly, taking a few steps closer to the high wire fence, so that his back was facing Ryou. "I was beginning to wonder if you would ever be strong enough to wake up."

It could have been taken as a joke, but there was an undercurrent of mocking that made Ryou tense. "I wouldn't have been sleeping so long if someone hadn't taken most of my energy to summon that card," he snapped. Even as the words flew out of his mouth, he wished he could take them back. He was just tired and that made him grouchy.

"If you're trying to assign blame, you should know that it rests solely on your shoulders, boy." Bakura never turned to face him. He didn't have to. It was all there in the tense set of his shoulders. "You were the one who was prepared to give up the Ring for someone who doesn't even care about you. You were the reason that we had to go there in the first place, and you were the one who took forever searching such a small house. She never would have had a chance to attack if it hadn't been for you and your desire to love someone because of blood ties. I had no choice but to borrow your energy to protect you from being so weak."

Once, when Ryou was younger, his sister had slapped him across the face at the end of an argument. They'd both been children, and she'd been angry, and without thinking, she had lashed out and scored a direct hit on his cheek that had left him dizzy and reeling. At the time, it had been like someone had dumped a glass of freezing cold water over his head. He would never forget that feeling, that sudden break in trust from someone that he had mistakenly believed he could depend on. It had been agony then. It was worse now. His breath seized in his lungs, and he stared, mouth open a little, at the older boy as Bakura's cruel words fully registered.

"You... " he began, flustered. "That's not..."

"It's true." Bakura cut off whatever he had been about to say in his defence. "Don't even try to deny it. It was your fault. Know that I didn't protect you because I wanted to. I did it because I had to. You have to be alive for me to access the power of the Millennium Ring."

There it was, the crux of the matter that had been hanging between them from the moment that they met. Ryou shivered again, suddenly cold, and summoned the strength to push his body into a standing position. His mind was so blank that he couldn't come up with a single word to say. Why the hell had he ever allowed himself to think for even a moment that Bakura might actually care about him? Their relationship was nothing like the one between his friends and their yamis. The older boy had made it more than clear from day one that the bond between them was all about power. Bakura wanted power. Craved it. Had sacrificed himself in a previous life so that he might have it in this one. That was all that mattered to him. If it weren't for the Ring, Bakura probably would have allowed Samira to kill him without thinking twice about it.

"Bakura, I..." Ryou shifted, tried to gain control of the emotions raging through him. He felt off-balance, like something was about to give.

"You are weak," said Bakura, voice cold. "And you_ will_ learn to toughen up, Ryou. I will not have such a pathetic partner tied to me for eternity."

That did it. "Bakura, I... I _hate_ you!" Ryou screamed. Not wanting the older boy to see his tears, he whirled around and dashed towards the door, not caring that running made his muscles begin to throb with exhaustion all over again. Without looking back, he yanked the door open and ran down the stairs, through the halls, and sprinted outside into the cool, late afternoon air. Fortunately, there was no one around to question the sight of the tears on his cheeks as he fled.

**GMA**

There. He'd done it, and the emotional boy had responded remarkably well. Bakura stared dispassionately through the wires as his hikari, the lighter half of his soul, threw the doors of the school open and blindly raced out. His eyes calmly followed Ryou's path until the boy turned the corner at the end of the street and could no longer be seen. The angry words echoed through the air, imprinting themselves onto his very soul. I hate you. If he lived for eternity... if he was reincarnated a hundred times... he would never forget the sound of those words as Ryou cried out in pain. _I hate you_.

Some time later, the bell rang, signifying that classes had ended for the day. As the students began to fill the yard below him, some heading home and others going to activities, he remained standing in the same spot, eyes still fixed on the place where Ryou had disappeared. His head was throbbing faintly, but it was a distant pain, and he'd suffered through worse. A cold wind was blowing, but he refused to shiver. Minutes ticked by in complete silence as the yard gradually emptied, until finally, he heard footsteps and voices on the stairwell before the door swung open. It had taken them longer than he had imagined for them to realize that he had no intention of going to meet them.

"Bakura, where the hell have you been?" Mariku complained.

"Yeah, I'm starving," Jou whined. "Where are you... hey, where's Ryou?"

Bakura still said nothing as each of the boys behind him switched their attention to the empty spot where the hikari had last been seen. There were no signs to indicate what had happened, but somehow... they knew. Unsurprisingly, it was Yami who understood first, and Yami who had the courage to step forward when the others probably would have shied away and place a hand on his shoulder. Damn the Pharaoh. He gritted his teeth, body tensing against his will beneath the warmth. Crimson eyes narrowed slightly and Yami studied him for a long moment in silence before he spoke.

"Where is Ryou, Bakura?"

"He left," Bakura muttered, speaking for the first time in hours. His throat was so dry that it actually hurt to talk.

"Why?" Yami pressed. "What did you say to him?"

"I reminded him of the truth," came the flat response.

Yami sucked in a breath sharply. The stark, simple sentence told him exactly what Bakura had likely said to the younger boy, and he didn't want to imagine the kind of damage Bakura had probably done. He had been friends with Bakura for a long time, and they were surprisingly close, for all that Bakura often claimed to want to kill him in his sleep. Even though the white-haired boy would never admit it, Bakura was terrified of getting close to anyone. His past had led him to live the life of a loner, his dreams were filled with visions of power, and he'd never wanted to understand that even power would only take him so far. From the looks of it, he'd successfully chased away the one thing that might have been enough to _make _him understand.

"For your sake, I hope that your light is stronger than you seem to think," he said softly, dropping his hand. He turned, walking quickly back to the others, and sought out Yuugi. There were only two people who would be able to track Ryou down now. "Aibou, you and Malik will have to find Ryou and talk to him. I think that he and Bakura had a fight."

Yuugi frowned, a sceptical look in his violet eyes, but he nodded slowly, willing to take Yami's words at face value for the moment. "We'll go look. I think I know where he would go," he said, grabbing Malik's hand. Malik was scowling at Bakura, a suspicious light in his eyes, but he allowed Yuugi to forcibly drag him out the door. Mariku's and Yami's eyes met, and a silent conversation flashed between the two of them – _keep him safe, Mariku_ - before Mariku turned to follow.

Seto, Jou, and Yami were left standing on the roof by themselves. Jou was glaring at Bakura, but the restraining arm that Seto had wrapped his boyfriend's waist kept him from trying to do the white-haired yami any harm. Yami returned to Bakura's side and placed a gentle but firm hand on the other boy's shoulder again, pulling him away from the wire. Bakura seemed almost shell-shocked, and as he led his friend towards the door, Yami allowed himself to hope that it was because Bakura realized the gravity of what he had done. There was a chance that the fledgling bond between he and Ryou had been ruined beyond repair, and if that was the case... the reincarnated Pharaoh shuddered. It would mean death.

**GMA**

The cell was dark and silent, too cramped for her to be able to sit up, much less stand, nor was it long enough for her to properly lie down. She was forced into a fetal position on her side, staring blankly through the darkness at the wall that was less than five inches away from her face. Closing her eyes or opening them made no difference. Her ears ached as the oppressive silence pressed in on her, but the pain pounding through her leg was so much worse. Considering that it was a far weaker creature, it should have been an easy thing for her to blow away a Man-Eater Bug... and she had, but not before the damn bug had gored a deep wound into her left thigh. It stung like hell every time she was forced to shift to keep all of her muscles from cramping up completely.

A sound... the door was opening. Samira kept herself still and clamped her lips tightly shut to keep from screaming as hands reached in and dragged her out. She found herself on her knees before two men. The one that she didn't recognize looked at her with a distant expression in his visible brown eye before he glanced away. Her master, on the other hand, was giving her a look of the deepest disgust. Swallowing back the instinctive whimper, she forced herself into a deep, reverent bow, ignoring the fact that the movement caused her wound to tear again. Fresh blood began trickling down over her thigh, staining the floor.

"You have failed me, Dark Witch," her master stated. "Explain to me why I should not have you tortured and sent to the Shadow Realm for your actions."

"Please, Master," she whispered, her body shaking against her will. Facing him in human form was so much worse than when she was her true self. "I apologize. I was unprepared for the strength of the yami. I believed I had subdued him, but he was able to summon a monster to defend his hikari."

Her master's face darkened with rage. Smoothly, he stepped forward and cruelly kicked her in the thigh. She muffled her scream of pain with her hands, knowing that the punishment would be worse for the weakness. "Foolish girl! You still dared to return without the Millennium Ring? When I assign you a mission, I expect you to carry it out no matter what!"

"I'm sorry, Master, I'm sorry," she sobbed. "Please forgive me. Please. I'm sorry. I will do whatever it takes next time, I swear. Give me another chance. Please. I'm sorry."

His eyes narrowed. "You will have one more chance to retrieve the Ring, and if you do not succeed..." he trailed off and she bit back a whimper. If she failed again, it would be better to not return. He turned to the servants that had dragged her from the box. "Take her to the above ground dungeon and allow her two days before sending her back."

"Yes, master," two dull voices intoned. As Samira was dragged away, her master turned to the young man who had looked at her with such disinterest.

"Cynthia?" the man asked, sounding dazed.

"Soon, my light," her master crooned. It was a voice that she had never heard him use before, and it disturbed her so much that she actually began walking, ignoring the pain if it meant getting out of the cave that much sooner. "We will have all of the Millennium Items, and you'll never have to dream about your precious wife again. You will be right there with her."

* * *

Please review!


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: **Thanks so much for the reviews. I was really happy with the reception towards Bakura and his thoughts. Seems everyone feels really bad for Ryou. I think it's just too much fun to torture our poor little Rabbit. Don't worry, things between him and Bakura won't be bad forever. I'm just not that kind of writer. Now, you get to see my interpretation of Mariku... and believe me when I say, he's not easy to write. How do you make a crazed psychopath somewhat human? You can't. It's just not done. So he's probably a bit out of character, but... well... just try to accept it.

**Important Note:** I've had a few comments/complaints as to why Yuugi calls Yami "Tenno". Basically, in some cultures, it's considered polite to call strangers/people you don't know well by their last name. First names are for close friends/lovers/family. Yuugi is trying to keep distance between himself and Yami, which is why he persists in calling Yami "Tenno". This won't last for much longer. I already have a scene planned out where this will end. Please bear with me for a short while longer.

Note: I apologize to anyone who received two notifications about this story. For some reason, either the site or my internet screwed up when I was uploading this chapter and another one of my stories, and the chapters refused to show. I had to re-upload. Here's hoping it works this time.

* * *

It wasn't very hard to figure out where Ryou might go. Actually, there was really only one place since his house had been infiltrated by Samira, and Yuugi and Malik set a course for that spot immediately. The large park in Domino was a pretty popular place, with an outdoor stage, a beautiful fountain, and, near the Western corner in a more secluded area, a little grove of trees that had been cut off from the forest by a man-made waterfall and stream. Even though the spot was visually stunning, most people never bothered to make an attempt to get through the close-knit trees to get there since there was no path. Because of their relatively small bodies, Yuugi and Malik had little trouble slipping in and amongst the trees. Mariku, on the other hand, who had been discreetly trailing the two hikaris up until that point, had a bit more difficulty. The heated swearing that followed the two of them was enough to have Malik grinning broadly as they finally made it to the stream.

And there was Ryou, knees pulled up to his chin, arms wrapped tightly around his knees, chin resting on top, staring into the churning water. It had rained the night before, so the usually gentle stream was actually pretty volatile, and Ryou didn't look up from his close perusal even though they had made enough sound to alert anyone to their approach. Yuugi stopped, suspecting that his friend was caught up in the memories of times that he and Amane used to come and play here. Not long after her death, Ryou had taken him and Malik to the waterfall for the first time, after one particularly nerve-wracking night when he'd fallen asleep there and scared his friends half to death. Since then, this was always the spot he came to when life got to be too overwhelming; the one place that he could come to for peace and solitude. For tears, though he didn't appear to be crying at the moment. Or at least, not on the outside.

With a glance at Malik, Yuugi summoned his courage and made the first move: he walked over and sat down beside Ryou. The ground was wet from rain, and he squirmed uncomfortably as Malik took a place on the other side. Neither of them were quite sure what to say. Malik liked to hold on to something when he was upset, and that was easy enough to supply, but Ryou had the tendency to retreat inwards to a place that no one else could reach. As close as the three of them were – and make no mistake, they did share a bond that was unbreakable – there were still times when Yuugi felt completely at a loss. It occurred to him for possibly the first time that maybe there was room for the yamis after all.

"Are you alright?" he asked finally, dismissing that thought from his mind. The question felt inadequate in light of the absolute pain and misery in Ryou's eyes, but there was no safer starting point. At the very least, it would give them an indicator of just how far Ryou had gone. He felt like cheering when the other boy blinked, breaking his staring contest with the water, and sighed.

"I should have known better," he said quietly, almost thoughtfully, paying no attention to the fact that Mariku had finally crashed through the woods behind them. One of his hands rose, absently stroking the round part of the Ring.

"What do you mean?" Malik asked cautiously, watching his friend warily.

"_He_ told me that I was only around for power," Ryou said, dropping his hand into his lap. His tone of voice left no question as to who "he" could be. "That the only reason he needed me and protected me was so that he could have access to the power of the Millennium Ring. Stupid me, I thought that maybe things could be different. I should have known better." His voice was light, with no trace of the bitterness that the words should have carried. Over his bent head, Yuugi and Malik exchanged worried looks.

"You don't know that they still couldn't be, Ryou," Yuugi tried. "From what I've seen, Bakura isn't a very nice person, but everyone needs someone to open up to eventually. I really think you were starting to get through to him."

Slowly, the white-haired boy shook his head. "No. You're wrong, Yuugi. It's nice of you say something like that, but why should I bother trying to fool myself? I see the truth now and I'm okay with it. Really. I don't care about Bakura either. To be quite honest, he's an utter bastard, and I could do without another one of those in my life, you know?" His head rose, and with a pang, Yuugi saw that he had been wrong. Ryou had been crying after all. It was evident by the tear tracks on his cheeks, though his eyes were now dry. "I've been sitting here thinking for a while now, and he's totally right. What exists between me and Bakura is just based on what we can do for each other. It's not like what you and Tenno have, or what Malik and Mariku have. Your yamis actually care about you and _want_ to protect you, and not just because you're the key to their power. He only wants power, not a weak partner."

Malik winced, remembering their conversation outside of the Kaiba mansion and the look on Ryou's face when he'd told his friend about Mariku's kiss. The thought of Ryou being jealous of him was absolutely ludicrous in Malik's eyes, but... It was hard to remember that Ryou had been alone for most of his life. "Ryou, you shouldn't - "

"Don't tell me what I should and shouldn't do, Malik. I'm sorry, but this is something that neither of you will be able to understand. I've put a lot thought in this, and I no longer see what Bakura could offer me." Without warning, he stood up, pulled the Ring off of his neck, and held it tightly with hands that shook. "He doesn't like me. He hates me. All he wants is power." His face twisted. "I don't need protection without this, and I fail to see why I should give _him_ anything any longer."

"Ryou!" Yuugi cried out, watching the gleaming golden item spiral through the air and into the water. Silently, not responding to the alarmed shout, Ryou turned and ran, pushing past Mariku and disappearing into the trees. Malik didn't waste time watching him go. He kicked his shoes off and ran into the stream, gasping at the shock of the cold. The water was freezing, but even that wasn't enough to deter him from searching for Millennium Ring before it was swept away by the current. "Malik, be careful!"

"Don't worry, Yuugi, I'm fine," Malik said through gritted teeth, fighting back an urge to curse. The water was much stronger than he had anticipated, and it was threatening to take his feet right out from underneath him. He stumbled, caught off-guard when a stick struck his ankle, and spotted a gleam of gold in the water just ahead of him. Instantly, he darted forward, and his fingers closed around the cord seconds before it would have been swept away from him. His feet slipped on the bottom and he yelped as he started to fall backwards, but he never hit the ground. Strong arms wrapped around his shoulders and pulled him against a warm body. Without saying a word, Mariku carried his hikari back to shore, the Millennium Ring safely held in Malik's hands.

"Oh, Malik, are you okay?" Yuugi asked in dismay, studying his friend. His pants were soaked and even his shirt was damp.

"I'm fine," Malik mumbled, refusing to look up at Mariku as the older boy set him back on his feet. Now that he was out of the water, he could feel how the chilly the wind was, and he couldn't help shivering a little as he handed the Ring to Yuugi. "Here, Yuugi. I think you should keep this for Ryou."

"What? Why me?" Yuugi looked down at the Ring with a certain amount of wariness. Bakura would be furious if he found out that Ryou had tossed it away, and the thought of the white-haired yami coming after the Ring wasn't really a pleasant one. The safest place for the Ring probably would have been at the bottom of a lake, regardless of how much it meant to Bakura. It might have taught the boy a lesson. He usually believed in the best of everyone, but Bakura had really crossed a line. "You should have left it there."

"I would have," Malik agreed, his teeth chattering. It was a testament to how cold he was that he didn't even protest when Mariku wrapped an arm around his shoulders and drew him back against his body. "But you can tell that it's important to Ryou, just like the Puzzle is to you and the Rod is to me. I think that Ryou would regret having thrown it away, someday. As for why you, well, I just feel like it's safer with you." He sneezed and then frowned. "I don't know why."

Yuugi sighed and reluctantly slipped the Ring into his backpack, knowing that it would be pointless to argue. Malik had a point about Ryou and the Ring, but that didn't mean he had to like the idea. If they were right and Pegasus was targeting them for the Millennium Items – and that seemed likely, considering all that had happened – then he could now be considered a double target. Kill two birds with one stone, in other words. No wonder Malik didn't want to keep the Ring, though the blond would never admit to as much. He eyed his friend as he put his backpack on, noting that Malik's face was pale and his lips had the faintest tinge of blue, and sighed.

"You should go home, Malik," he said quietly, his eyes meeting Mariku's. A silent communication passed between the two of them, and something flickered in Mariku's face as he glanced from Malik to Yuugi. Knowing that the older boy was understandably reluctant to leave two Millennium Items in Yuugi's possession, he added, "I think I'll do the same. Jii-chan could probably use some more help in the shop, and I think I heard him mention that Hawkins-san and Rebecca-san are coming over. Again."

"It's true love," Malik said with a weak laugh and a violent shiver. By silent consensus, the three of them began walking back through the trees towards the main part of the park, specifically the parking lot. Mariku had brought along his motorcycle, even though Yuugi and Malik had been on foot. Yuugi watched, biting the inside of his cheek in an effort to hold back the grin, as Mariku hustled his hikari over to the motorcycle, climbed on, and practically forced the loudly protesting Malik to clamber on behind him. Malik turned and glared at him, clearly realizing that Yuugi found the situation more than funny, but fortunately he didn't have a chance to say anything before Mariku pushed a helmet into his hands and started up the machine.

"Oh, Malik, you're in trouble," Yuugi mumbled, eyes sparkling with amusement as the two of them roared out of the lot. He began the lonely walk home, wondering where Ryou had gone. Maybe home, though that was unlikely considering what Samira had done. It was tempting to try and track his friend down, but sometimes it was better to give Ryou space when he was upset. Too much coddling generally had the opposite effect: Ryou would get angrier and even more moody than before. Sighing, he shoved his hands into his pockets and picked up the pace, wondering if Ryou and Bakura would ever be able to work things out between them.

But then, why should he expect them to? As soon as Pegasus was no longer an issue, well, it wasn't like the yamis could be expected to stick around. Maybe Ryou had the right way of thinking after all. Yuugi sobered at that thought, his happy smile vanishing. He remembered the feeling of putting hand into Tenno's, a gentle warmth of protection and safety. It was something that all of them could become accustomed to far too easily, and that was dangerous. Tenno, Bakura, and Mariku were all popular, successful, and had bright futures ahead of them. That was more than obvious from all of the rumours he'd heard during the past week. Surely, once the Millennium Items were gone, they would leave, too? Could he believe Tenno when the boy said that they belonged together, or was that just a ploy?

The problem was... he liked Tenno. A lot, and he didn't want to believe that about him. There was something very appealing about the older boy, though Yuugi couldn't put his finger on what it was for certain. After just a week or so together, he could have honestly said that as much as he wanted to shove Tenno away, he didn't know how to do that. It just felt right when they were together. His chest never ached, and Tenno's presence made him feel like he didn't have to worry about anything. What was he supposed to believe? Common sense or his heart? Yuugi groaned and rubbed his head, wishing that he knew what was right. He had so many questions and so few answers.

**GMA**

Mariku was having a hard time. It was nothing short of impossible to concentrate on the road in front of him when his beautiful little hikari's arms had finally (though grudgingly) slipped around his waist. He could feel Malik's shivering body pressed up against his and relished the contact with every fibre of his being. Of course, it would have been much better if there had been no clothes between them, but he knew that there would be time for that later. Malik was too pure to be ready for something like that, and besides, he had the feeling that that sister of his would have torn his balls off if she thought that he was trying to take advantage of her brother. Isis had never liked him, and she had made that more than clear from day one. It was mostly amusing, and when it came time for Malik to be his, she wouldn't stand in his way. But for now, he was willing to let her have her little fantasy.

He slowed down for a stop sign just long enough to check the street before he gunned it. Normally he had the tendency to ignore most of the rules of the road, but with Malik on the back, he was more willing to compromise – gods help anyone who hurt Malik. Fortunately, the house he shared with his brother wasn't far from the park, and this time, Malik was a lot more graceful about getting off of the motorcycle, much to Mariku's disappointment. He couldn't resist flashing the younger boy a broad grin, which caused Malik to turn a delightful shade of pink that made Mariku's mouth water. It truly amazed him that Malik had no idea of just how beautiful and gorgeous he truly was. How could someone with that kind of beauty be unaware of it?

"Come on," he said, uncomfortably aware that Malik's eyes had narrowed suspiciously in his direction. There was a certain point to which he could tease the kid, and if he crossed it, well... he didn't want to end up in the same situation as that idiot Bakura. "You can shower and I'll get you a change of clothing."

There was a pause. "Does the bathroom door have a lock?"

"Yes," Mariku said. He didn't bother to add that it wouldn't do the hikari much good if Mariku was really determined. His brother could be an ass sometimes, so he'd learned how to break into the room more than once. "I don't think my brother is home, so go ahead. Bathroom's down the hall to the left."

"Thanks," Malik muttered. Without saying another word, he slipped down the hall, leaving Mariku alone.

With a sigh, the yami went into his bedroom and rummaged around until he found a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt that were too small. He left them outside the bathroom door and then headed into the kitchen. Unlike Bakura or Yami, who would probably have no idea how to do anything for themselves in the kitchen, he was a fairly proficient cook – out of necessity, of course. His brother liked to joke that it was just because he had such a good relationship with fire of any kind, but really, it was because he'd gotten sick of living off of ramen, toast, and frozen dinners at a young age. After all, he doubted his beautiful light would be attracted to him if he was overweight.

The shower stopped and Mariku glanced up expectantly, waiting for Malik to appear in the doorway. When the younger boy did, Mariku forgot how to breathe. Although he loved teasing Malik just to see the reaction, truthfully the kid was genuinely breath-taking in a way that Mariku wasn't used to. He'd fooled around with people before, but the sheer depths of the attraction between he and Malik was almost frightening. Never in his life had he wanted to possess someone the way he wanted Malik. Was it just because of the link between them? The private calling of their two souls? Would he have felt this way if Malik was just a kid off of the street? Mariku eyed him quickly as Malik moved to sit down at the kitchen table and decided that yes, he would.

"You hungry?" he asked, glad that he was pressed against the counter.

"I guess," Malik mumbled, resting his head on his arms. He seemed uncomfortable, but when Mariku did nothing more than continue to chop the peppers and mushrooms he'd pulled out of the refrigerator, Malik gradually began to relax. "Um..."

"What?" Mariku hid his pleasure at the knowledge that Malik had spoken to him. Fuck, he was well and truly taken with the kid, wasn't he? Good thing Bakura wasn't around, or he would have been in for some serious teasing.

"I have to go back to my apartment later," Malik said softly. "My sister... she'll be worried."

"I'll take you back after we eat," said Mariku calmly, pouring the veggies into a frying pan. The chance to mess with Isis was too good a one to pass up. She'd no doubt be pissed at any sight of him touching her little brother, but she wouldn't be able to say anything about it. Malik was his hikari and Isis had no choice but to accept that, much as she would have wanted to kill him for wandering eyes or hands. He smirked and poked at the browning food. Yes, this would be... interesting.

Once the food was ready, he dished the vegetables onto some rice and handed a portion to Malik, who accepted and began eating in silence. Mariku sat down beside him at the table and felt a chill as their knees brushed under the table. Ignoring it, but pleased that Malik made no effort to move away, he started his own meal. It was the first time that he could remember sharing a meal with someone who wasn't his brother, Yami, or Bakura, and he was honestly surprised by how much he enjoyed it. He sat back and gazed at Malik as the boy put his fork down and rested a flushed cheek on his hand. A surge of possessiveness swelled within him, and his gaze instinctively darted to the knife that he'd used to chop the vegetables, thinking that he'd have to take it with him, just in case some idiot drone of Pegasus's decided it was time to come calling for some fun. Malik belonged to him... and he had no qualms about making that clear to everyone and anyone.

**GMA**

Yuugi was so anxious to get home, and so absorbed in his thoughts, that he didn't even realize that someone had fallen into step beside him until a slender hand reached out and touched his shoulder. He jumped, badly startled, and instinctively jerked away, one hand flying protectively to the Millennium Puzzle as he twisted to look up at the tall young woman who was standing beside him. Whatever words he had been about to speak died when he got a good look at her. She was nothing short of utterly captivating, with dark hair that fell in waves to her shoulders, smooth, pale skin, and a beautiful smile. Her curves were perfectly outlined by the tight white sundress she was wearing, and an artful arrangement of crescent moon jewellery studded with sapphires stole attention to her silvery blue eyes.

"Hi," she said in a voice that sounded something like chiming bells. "I'm new in town and looking for the Kame Game Shop. My little sister's birthday is tomorrow, and my aunt suggested that I might be able to find something there. Unfortunately, I'm completely lost. Could you help me?"

"Um... sure..." he said dazedly, unable to look away from her eyes.

"Can you take me there?" she prompted.

"Sure."

"Right now?"

"Sure."

"Great," she said with an even bigger smile, clapping her hands happily. "I was so happy to run into someone my age. I'm afraid I was a little too intimidated by everyone else to even think of approaching them." She laughed a little, and it was like a sweet melody. "Thank you so much for your help. You can't imagine how much I appreciate it."

"Sure," he said for the fourth time in a row. The Millennium Puzzle gave off a flash of heat, and he suddenly found himself able to look away from her eyes. If he had been looking up at the girl, he would have seen the expression of annoyance that flashed over her face, but he missed it. A headache was forming behind his temples, preventing him from thinking clearly, and he felt confused. What had she asked again? Where were they going?

"So we'll go there right now, to the Kame Game Shop," the girl said pointedly, thrusting her hand out right below his nose so that he couldn't ignore her. "My name is Tsuki, by the way. And you are?"

"I'm Yuugi," he mumbled, sliding his hand into hers reluctantly. A chill ran up his spine and he let go as soon as he could; her skin was icy cold. Without saying another word, he turned and began walking towards the game shop, not waiting to see if Tsuki would follow. She kept up with him easily, a satisfied smile on her face.

Tsuki kept up a non-stop string of chatter the whole way back to the shop. She didn't seem to care that Yuugi never once voiced a response to her comments. Every once in a while, she'd brush her hand against his shoulder or his arm, and there was no way to explain the weird jolt he felt from the Puzzle every time that happened. He was relieved when they finally reached the shop and hurried forward to open the door for her. Without thinking, he glanced up as she walked by, and their eyes connected for a second time. Instantly, that strange, drifting feeling happened for a second time, like his body was weak... so weak... Tsuki was whispering to him, her pink lips moving, but he couldn't quite make out what she was saying, and the heaviness in his head was growing stronger...

"Yuugi?" The sound of Sugoroku's voice made Tsuki turn. Yuugi blinked, wondering why he was being so rude as to stare at their prospective customer, and why his head hurt so much. Fortunately, Tsuki walked calmly into the game shop, seemingly not noticing his behaviour, and greeted Sugoroku with a cheerful smile.

"This is... is..." Yuugi trailed off. Why couldn't he remember her name? Where had she come from? And why was he so cold?

"I'm Tsuki," she said, smiling broadly at Sugoroku. "I'm here to find a gift for my sister. Yuugi here told me that you're the best salesman in town, and that you could find me the perfect gift."

"I did?" he asked.

"I see," Sugoroku said at the same time, looking dazzled. "We can help you find something right, Yuugi?"

"I think I'm going to go upstairs, actually," Yuugi said hastily. Tsuki's face fell, and Sugoroku frowned, but Yuugi was past the point of caring. His head hurt so badly that it was taking all of his effort just to stand, and the Millennium Puzzle had begun to grow warm against his chest, just like it had the night that he solved it. Something wasn't right, but he didn't know what or why. He staggered past the two of them and up the stairs, where he collapsed on his bed with a muffled groan. Lying down didn't seem to help much, but at least it meant he wasn't in danger of having his knees give out on him anymore.

Sleep eluded him, and the Puzzle continued to be a steady warmth against his chest. Every time he closed his eyes, he could see a pair of silvery blue eyes staring back at him and hear a musical voice whispering unintelligible things to him. Yuugi groaned in pain and rolled over, wishing that it would stop. At one point, he became aware of the fact that someone standing over him. Slender hands grabbed a hold of the Millennium Puzzle, but before he could even think about reacting, the Puzzle pulsed with heat, and the person exclaimed in surprise and let go. Then those same hands were grabbing his head, cupping his cheeks forcefully, and he gasped, eyes flying open, at the icy cold touch. The same blue eyes that he'd seen in his dreams stared down at him, increasing the pain in his head until he thought he would scream even as the Puzzle flared with fury.

Suddenly, the touch left. Whoever was leaning over him backed away and then vanished altogether, giving him room to breathe. He curled up into a ball and began to shiver, only vaguely aware of someone else coming into the room and calling his name. More hands touched him, but it was comforting this time, not painful. Almost un-noticed because of the pain in his head, the ache in his chest vanished, telling him that it was Tenno Yami who held him. Yuugi rolled over and clutched desperately at the older boy's chest, seeking relief from the pain and heat to help him warm up. Tenno stroked his hair and spoke to him gently in a language that he couldn't understand, but it was soothing all the same, and gradually the hated whispering stopped. He took Yuugi's left hand, intertwined their fingers, and placed their joined hands against the Millennium Puzzle. It stopped burning and instead began pulsing beneath their fingertips. Slowly, ever so slowly, the pain began to recede.

"Aibou, can you hear me?" Tenno whispered some time later.

Yuugi opened his eyes a slit. The room had grown dark and he could see the moon and stars through the skylight. More time had passed than he'd expected. He was lying on his bed with the upper half of his body supported by Tenno, who had perched himself on the edge of the bed with his back pressed against the wall for additional support. Both of them were wrapped up in the covers from his bed, but he continued to shiver with cold. His head still hurt, but not nearly as badly as before, and in spite of it all, he managed to make a small sound of agreement. It made his throat throb, and he realized that he must have cried out or screamed at some point, though he had no memory of doing so.

"Good," Tenno murmured. "You don't have to speak for the moment, just listen. You were attacked by a Duel Monster. Do you remember what it looked like?"

The events of the day were a complete blur. Yuugi couldn't remember anything beyond leaving the clearing with Malik and Mariku. How had he gotten home? What kind of Duel Monster was Tenno talking about? Slowly, he shook his head, and then squeezed his eyes shut tightly when the world spun. A hand ran through his hair, giving him something to cling to until he felt stable again. He cleared his throat and managed to whisper, "Why?"

"We think they were after the Millennium Puzzle, but the Puzzle was able to protect you until my presence drove the creature away," came the low response. "I felt your pain. I came as quickly as I could. I'm sorry I wasn't here sooner. Are you alright?"

"M'head hurts. M'cold, Yami, s'cold," he forced out, shivering again. He felt Tenno lift him so that he was tucked more securely in between Tenno's legs and against the older boy's body. Normally he would have shied away, but the warmth felt so good that he couldn't help himself. With a soft whimper, he clung to Tenno and buried his face in the curve of his shoulder. Strong arms encircled his body and gentle words of comfort were uttered in his ear, driving away the pain, cold, and memories of cold, silvery blue eyes.

* * *

Please review! And if you're looking for more YGO stories by yours truly, go read my new one-shot.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N:** Aw, such nice reviews! It thrills me to know that everyone is enjoying the Yami/Yuugi moments. They're definitely my favourite YGO couple (one of my OTPs, actually). I think it's because they're just so damn cute together. So I took the opportunity to indulge the shipper in all of us and made this chapter with an extra dose of fluff. I totally can't help myself, but then I thought... come on, why would I even want to? Enjoy!

**Notice:** To give you advance warning, I received a job offer today. I don't start until January 9th, but that means I won't have my days empty to write at my leisure (I miss it already). I'm going to do my best to try to keep up with one chapter a week, though.

* * *

In spite of the hours he normally kept, Kaiba Seto was not really a morning person, but he was a lot better at hiding that fact than his boyfriend was. He was more than used to getting up early, so he wasn't particularly bothered by the fact that someone was knocking on his bedroom door at just past five in the morning. Jou, on the other hand, whimpered, rolled over, seized the nearest pillow, and yanked it over his head while mumbling something about people who had no respect for those who were trying to sleep in. A fond smile that few people would ever see crossed his face as Seto climbed out of the bed, pulled on a robe, and walked over to the door, knowing that it had to be important. His servants knew better than to disturb him so early unless there was a need for it. He pulled the door open and looked at the girl on the other side.

"Kaiba-sama, your cousin has arrived and says that he urgently needs to see you," the young maid said respectfully, curtseying. She had been Seto's private maid for a year or two, so she was used to the brunette's brisk, often cold demeanour, and she knew better than to wait for him to ask what she wanted. "He was quite upset, and is waiting for you in his bedroom."

"Thank you, Miyako-san." Seto closed the door without saying another word and glanced back at Jou, who had curled up into the warm spot he had left on the bed. He briefly contemplated waking his puppy, but decided against it. Anything that could have Yami in a state of urgency was probably better handled by him first. Jou had the tendency to panic sometimes, and occasionally, that could make things worse. Knowing that the younger boy would think he'd gotten up to do work, Seto swapped his robe for a t-shirt and left, easing the door shut behind him.

Yami's bedroom was located on the second floor, just a few doors down from Seto's and Jou's. Back when they'd originally discovered that he and Mokuba had more family out there than they had been led to believe by the orphanage, Mokuba had been the one who had wanted to get to know Yami when their cousin professed an interest in them. Tenno Daiki and Akemi were not very nice people, as evidenced by the fact that they had refused to take in the orphaned children of Daiki's younger brother, but there had been an instant kinship between Seto and Yami that could not be ignored, even though Seto had tried. Knowing that Yami's relationship with his parents was less than perfect, Seto had long ago given him – and to a lesser extent, his annoying friends – free run of the mansion. That Yami had come to him now, when he was in trouble, meant more than the brunette could ever say.

The bedroom door was only partially closed when Seto arrived, so he pushed it open without knocking, revealing a large room decorated in shades of brown, amber, and crimson, with the occasional touch of white and violet. Yami was seated on the edge of his king-sized bed with something, or rather, someone curled up into a small ball on his lap. It didn't take a genius of Seto's calibre to guess who it might be. Frowning, he approached, taking notice of the distress evident in his cousin's eyes and aura. Whatever had happened to shake the normally calm Yami had to be bad, and suddenly he regretted not bringing Jou along to help calm the unusually tense boy.

"Cousin?" he called cautiously, approaching the bed slowly. There was a swirling darkness around Yami that threatened anyone who got too close without permission. It had always been one of Jou's favourite questions to contemplate when he was bored: who would win in a real duel, Yami or Seto? Though he'd never admit it out loud, the brunette was not inclined to find out that he would be the loser anytime soon. Relief flowed through him when Yami's head snapped up and the crimson eyes actually focused on him. The tension drained out of Yami's body immediately, and Seto felt safe enough to step closer, within arm's reach. "What's happened?"

"Yuugi was attacked by a Duel Monster," Yami said stiffly, rage peaking briefly in his aura. Seto concealed a wince and reached for the edge of the blanket. His cousin tensed again, and the brunette froze with his hand inches away, willing Yami to calm down and accept the help he was trying to offer. Slowly, Yami relaxed fractionally, just enough to allow Seto to bring the edge of the blanket down. He sucked in a sharp breath at what he saw.

The young boy cradled in Yami's arms didn't even look like Mutou Yuugi, but like a child, one who had been badly hurt. His face was pale, almost completely white, save for the two bright spots of pink that had bloomed in his cheeks. He was shaking with cold even as sweat rolled down his face, and he kept grabbing at his ears and whimpering. Instinctively, Seto leaned closer so that he could hear what the boy was trying to say. After listening for only a moment, he sat up straight, expression grave as he pondered the mention of the "blue eyes" that Yuugi was so frightened of. Somehow, he didn't think that the little hikari was referring to the dragon.

"Do you know which one it was?" he asked, his keen mind already racing.

"No. I believe it was trying to steal the Millennium Puzzle, but it reacted to the Duel Monster's presence and was able to keep it from physically harming Yuugi until I arrived and scared it away," Yami answered, his voice low with fury. "I contemplated chasing after it, but I felt it was more important to look after my aibou. He had collapsed onto his bed and was clearly in great discomfort. For a while, his condition seemed to be improving, but then he took a turn for the worse. No matter what I do, I can't seem to warm him up, and he talks constantly about blue eyes staring at him." By the time he was done, his anger had become nothing short of sheer terror and concern. Had the situation not been so dire, Seto would have smiled.

"It was likely a fairy or a spellcaster," Seto said, placing the back of his hand against Yuugi's forehead. As he'd suspected, the boy was burning with fever, and he didn't seem to be aware of the fact that Yami or Seto were in the same room. "They were probably trying to take control of his mind, but the Puzzle and your bond prevented it from happening for at least a short time. You were lucky to have arrived when you did, cousin, or he might have been lost forever."

Yami stiffened, and his grip on Yuugi grew that much tighter and more protective. "Can you do anything to help him, Seto?" he asked, sounding almost frightened in his request.

Seto sighed. "I'm not sure," he admitted reluctantly. Ra but he hated it when he didn't have the answer, especially when it came to family. "I could try to perform a couple of spells, but you know that working with the mind is a perilous and dangerous activity. Even if I was being gentle, I could easily damage him irreparably, particularly if he doesn't realize that I'm trying to help. The safest thing would be for you to approach him through the Puzzle and try to flush the spell out that way."

"I was afraid you were going to say that," Yami muttered, unconsciously smoothing a sweaty blond bang out of Yuugi's face. "I'm not sure... you know that our bond is far from being fully formed, and trying to force it could have disastrous results. Yuugi is still very uncertain about his feelings for me. I don't want to hurt him, Cousin."

"I know, but I really don't see any other way," he replied. "Yuugi seems to trust you, Yami. I can tell by the way he clings to you. I wouldn't advise you to do this unless I thought you would both come through un-harmed."

"Always the advisor," murmured the shorter boy with a weak smile. "Very well. I suppose it's too dangerous to give him any medication for the fever."

"I'm afraid so. His mind should be as clear as possible if this is to work, and I don't know what would happen if his judgement was clouded by medication. He might not recognize you and lash out, and that could be disastrous for both of you," said Seto. In a lesser man, his voice would have sounded apologetic. "I'll call my personal doctor and have him on standby. As soon as you destroy the effects of the spell, he'll be able to treat Yuugi."

Without waiting for his cousin to respond, he stood up and gently took Yuugi from Yami's arms. Ignoring the low, possessive growl, Seto walked around to the opposite side of the bed and placed the boy down on the sheets. He pulled the sweat-soaked blankets away from Yuugi and then stripped the boy of most of his clothing, until he wore nothing but purple boxers. Yami scowled, keeping a close eye on his cousin as he undressed as well before lying down and drawing Yuugi into his arms and against his body. Since their bond was not fully formed, it was important for the two of them to have as much physical contact as possible. Seto was pleased to note that the younger boy's arms clutched almost desperately at Yami as soon as he was within reach, and Yami instantly began soothing the child with loving, soft words. His cousin was definitely smitten, that was for certain.

Silently, his presence forgotten, he stood off to the side, unconsciously assuming a guard position as Yami summoned the power of the Puzzle. The eye symbol on the front began to glow with a deep golden color, and then there was a flash of light so brilliant that Seto had to look away or be blinded. When he could see again, Yami and Yuugi had their faces tilted towards each other so that their cheeks and foreheads were touching, allowing the eye symbols on their foreheads to brush against each other. Yuugi's trembling had stilled, but he shivered now and again. Seto sighed and moved closer to the bed, picking up a warm crimson blanket that had been neatly folded at the end. Yami could help the boy mentally, but it would probably be a few days yet before the physical problems disappeared, and it wouldn't help if Yuugi grew chilled. Gently, even though he knew neither boy could feel anything, he spread the blanket over their bodies and tucked it in securely.

"Aww, look at you," a familiar voice teased from the doorway. "Just like a proud daddy."

"Call me that again, pup, and you'll regret it," Seto said without pause, unable to keep a smile from breaking out across his face as Jou grinned with mischief. The slender blond sauntered across the room and leaned against his taller lover with a sleepy yawn.

"What's wrong?" he asked, rubbing one of his eyes. "Yuugi's not well?"

"He's been attacked by a Duel Monster," Seto confirmed, lightly stroking the soft blond hair. "His body is fighting the spell, and Yami has gone to help him." Jou bit his lip in worry for his friends, but couldn't resist leaning into Seto's comforting touch. The brunette always knew just how to distract his younger lover. He would have liked to have sent Jou to school that day, but he knew that even asking him to do that was useless. As long as Yuugi and Yami were in jeopardy, Jou wouldn't leave their sides. "Pup, why don't you go down to the kitchens and get us some food? It could be a long wait."

Amber eyes narrowed slightly, and Jou hesitated a moment, studying his lover in an effort to see whether Seto was just trying to get him to leave. Eventually, he nodded. "What d'you feel like having?"

"Anything is fine. Just try not to wake Mokuba up," he advised, unable to resist kissing the smaller boy. If Mokuba didn't see either of them at the breakfast table, he would assume that the two of them had gone out for breakfast and not be concerned. But if he found out that they were staying home to watch over Yami and Yuugi, he would want to do the same, and Seto didn't want him exposed to too much magic when he was so young.

Jou nodded and, after one last kiss, headed out the door. Seto watched him leave and then looked back his cousin with a weary sigh. He had known from the day that Yami entered his life that the reincarnated Pharaoh would make things interesting, but he had vastly underestimated just how much trouble could follow Yami around. It made life exciting, to say the least. Shaking his head, he fetched the comfortable chair that normally sat in front of Yami's desk and pulled it up alongside the bed. As long as the two of them were caught in the power of the Puzzle, he and Jou would watch over them and make sure that they were safe.

**GMA**

The world had changed when the pain stopped enough for him to do anything. Panting, Yuugi opened his eyes and looked around blearily. A worried frown crossed his face when he realized that he didn't recognize where he was. It was a fairly large room with plain white walls and a blue carpet that was covered in dozens of different games, toys, and puzzles. Before he had much chance to examine the place, his attention was drawn to the far side of the room, where a large crescent moon had painted on the wall in a shade of silvery blue that made his head hurt. He tried to look away, but found that his eyes were irresistibly drawn towards the painting no matter what he did. Only when a knock came to the door was he able to tear his eyes away, but even then he couldn't bring himself to answer. Instead, he pulled the covers over his head so that he couldn't look at the painting even though he still wanted to.

Someone knocked again, and then a familiar voice called to him. "Yuugi, may I come in?"

"Yes," he whispered, shivering. He wasn't sure whether he had spoken loud enough to be heard, but the door opened, and then someone was sitting beside him on the bed. The covers were drawn back, and he found himself gazing up into warm crimson eyes.

"What's wrong?" Tenno Yami asked, gently smoothing the hair back from Yuugi's face. "Are you not well, my little one?"

"That painting on the wall... It makes my head hurt," Yuugi mumbled, too exhausted to be embarrassed by the nickname. The light touch against his forehead felt so good that he couldn't bear the thought of pushing Tenno's hand away, but at the same time, he couldn't help but notice that the touch felt differently than normal. It was like his skin had become extremely sensitive, and he felt that touch all the way down to his toes. "Where are we?"

"We're in your soul room," Tenno explained. "It's the physical representation of your soul. Because we're yami and hikari, there is a connection between our rooms. Thanks to the Puzzle, we can travel freely between them. I brought you here to help you get rid of the spell that was cast on you by that Duel Monster." He glanced over at the crescent moon and scowled. "You can see the mark it has left upon you. If we don't remove it, you'll continue to deteriorate until she takes control of you or you die."

Fear flashed into Yuugi's eyes, and he made an attempt to sit up, ignoring the way his muscles quivered in protest. "I don't want to die!" he cried. "Yami, please!"

"Shh, Aibou, I won't let anything happen to you. Don't be scared." In spite of the serious nature of his words, a smile crossed Tenno's face. "You called me Yami."

"Eh?" Yuugi blinked at him, surprised by the comment, before he blushed, flustered. He hadn't meant for that name to slip out, but it was hard to keep thinking of him as "Tenno" when the older boy was being so comforting. "I... I didn't mean to. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. I like it when you call me by my name," Yami answered. The two of them looked at each for a long moment in silence before Yuugi shivered again and then forced himself to look away. That was the second time in so many hours that he had allowed himself to become caught up in staring at someone's eyes, and considering how it had ended the last time, he was wary to do so again. But for some reason he didn't want to examine too closely, it felt a lot better when he looked into Yami's eyes.

"What... How... How do you plan on getting rid of that thing?" he asked, hoping that he wasn't blushing as brightly as he suspected he was. He shifted, belatedly realizing that Yami was still leaning awfully close to him.

"I don't know," the older boy admitted, sitting back slightly. Yuugi felt a jolt of panic at the thought that Yami might leave him and reached out instinctively, clutching at Yami's shirt. Yami blinked, looking surprised, before his eyes softened and he placed his hand on top of Yuugi's. "Don't worry, Aibou. I won't leave until that mark is gone and you're free from her spell. If I had been a little faster, you never would have fallen under her grip in the first place."

The flash of... self-loathing? Anger? Protectiveness? That went through Yuugi was completely foreign, and he gasped softly, realizing that it was because they weren't _his_ emotions. He was feeling... what Yami was feeling. Violet eyes wide in wonder, he instinctively reached out mentally, following those emotions back to what felt like a surge of pure warmth in his mind. Yami straightened at the gentle touch to their link and looked down at his hikari with a smile. Yuugi stared up at him, understanding for the first time what Yami meant when he talked about their bond.

"That's..." he began, but words failed him. There was no way to describe it. "Why couldn't I feel that before?"

"Our connection _is_ stronger in a soul room," Yami answered honestly. "It's always been there, but you're not used to magic and you didn't know what to look for. Someday, when our bond is fully established, it will be even stronger... like this." He took Yuugi's hand and intertwined their fingers together before closing his eyes. Curious, Yuugi did the same, and couldn't help another gasp of shock when the warmth surged through him, filling him from head to toe. With it came all kinds of emotions – possessiveness, protectiveness, anger, love – and even a few stray thoughts. Tentatively, he pushed back, and felt more than heard Yami's surprise. A small smile slipped over the hikari's face when he felt Yami respond in kind, causing the link between them to swell with a cautious joy. It was like being embraced by someone, but mentally and spiritually instead of physically.

A burning sensation made him jump, losing control, and just like that, the connection between them thinned back to what it was before. He opened his eyes and found himself looking past Yami to the crescent moon mark on his wall. It had turned a deep, dark shade of blue, glowing silver at the edges. Yuugi stared, utterly captivated, and thought that he had never seen a more beautiful sight. Without thinking, he released Yami's hand and slipped out from under him and off the bed. Startled, Yami turned quickly, intending to stop him, but thin blue bands shot out of the floor and grabbed the boy's arms, pinning his hands behind his back.

"Aibou, don't!" he shouted, struggling against the bands. "Our bond is erasing the spell and it's trying to fight back. Don't let it mesmerize you like this. She'll ruin your mind. Little One, please stop!"

Yuugi couldn't hear him. Every step closer to the crescent moon mark was like a drug pulsing through his system. Eyes half-lidded with pleasure, he reached out, intending to touch the mark. A voice, whispering faintly, told him that it would be so much _better_ if he did. But something stopped him just before his fingers would have impacted. A memory, almost forgotten, niggled at the back of his mind. He shivered, realizing that he felt cold, and wished that he could go back to the warmth that he felt when he'd been open to Yami. As though sensing his hesitation, the mark on the wall grew even darker, almost black, and the silver shone brighter, making his eyes hurt. His arms fell to his sides.

"Yuugi! STOP!" With a low, furious growl, Yami summoned his shadow powers and sliced easily through the bands that were holding onto him. Weakened by Yuugi's hesitation, the bands vanished. He leapt off of the bed and flew to the younger boy's side, gripping Yuugi's shoulders tightly. There was a vacant look in Yuugi's normally expressive violet eyes, and he kept trying to look around Yami to see the mark on the wall.

"It's calling me..." Yuugi whispered, sounding distant. "Someone's... calling..."

"You can't answer!" Yami hissed, refusing to let go even when Yuugi began to struggle against his grip. "I need you, Yuugi. You are the other half of my soul. Your presence completes me, and I won't let you go, understand? I won't let her steal you away. You're mine!" Awareness flickered back into Yuugi's violet eyes for a moment. Encouraged, Yami clutched the younger boy against his chest and dropped his head onto Yuugi's hair, hardly aware of what he was saying. The honest words just spilled out. "You can't leave me. I've been searching for you for so long. I've always felt like something was missing, and when I found you, I felt whole for the first time. Please... I need you. I can't do this by myself. Please stay with me."

"Yami..." The dull roaring that had filled Yuugi's ears disappeared entirely. His knees felt weak as he grabbed onto the older boy and clung to him, burying his face in Yami's chest. "I want to stay with you!"

Behind them, the crescent moon mark began to fade to white. It writhed against the wall and a shrill screaming filled the soul room before the mark disappeared entirely. In the sudden silence, Yami lowered them both to their knees, never releasing his hold on the boy who had become so precious to him in such a short amount of time. He could feel dampness on his shirt that meant Yuugi was crying, but he couldn't bring himself to speak any words of comfort. Instead, he settled for nudging their connection open and allowing his partner to feel the relief that was pouring through him. The emotions flooding back from Yuugi – equal relief, gratitude, and affection – was almost enough to make him pass out. And if he noticed the single tear that slipped down his cheek, Yami ignored it.

**GMA**

Malik was less than impressed. That was a polite way of saying that he was pissed, and_ not_ in a good way. After the (surprisingly) delicious meal at Mariku's house, he'd agreed to allow the yami to take him home, if only because he knew that there was no way that Mariku was going to just let him leave on his own. The trip had been mercifully short and, before he knew it, they were back at his apartment. His sister had apparently been working hard during the past few days, because the place was nearly unrecognizable from before. Gone was the old furniture, the beer, food and blood stained carpet, the ugly, murky color on the walls, and the faint sour odour in the air. Isis had stripped the carpet, painted the walls a fresh, warm yellow, and had brand new, more fashionable furniture delivered. All the windows were open, and sunlight and fresh air streamed in. It was the kind of place that he'd always dreamed of coming home to. Too bad he was too annoyed to enjoy it.

He pulled the refrigerator door open and was surprised to see something other than beer and liquor inside. Apparently, Isis had been to the grocery store as well. Briefly sparing a thought to wonder where she had gotten the money for all of the changes, he selected three cans of cola and poked his head back into the living room to ask if his sister or Mariku wanted anything else. One glance had him retreating back into the kitchen, shaking his head. Isis had been giving Mariku the kind of look that was usually reserved for people who dared to touch something in her exhibit at the museum. It was the "make one false move and I'll kill you where I stand" look that had often been the only thing to make him behave as a child. Mariku, being Mariku, appeared to be intensely amused.

"Why me?" Malik muttered, cracking the top of one of the cans. He took a long drink of the sweet liquid and sighed, carelessly drawing the back of his hand across his mouth. It was almost amusing in a way. Isis was determined that his yami "protect" him, but for some reason, she had never stopped to wonder who was going to protect Malik from his yami. The look on her face when the two of them walked in together, and Mariku had way-too-casually draped an arm around Malik's shoulders... Fighting back an amused grin, Malik gulped from the can again. Trouble was brewing, and he really should be out there to diffuse it, but getting in between the middle of those two was tantamount to badgering his father when the man was drunk. Asking for an explosion.

The thought of his father was enough to make the smile slip from his face, and he sighed, leaning against the counter. It was clear that Hafiz had not returned to the apartment, and Isis hadn't heard from him. Malik might have hated the bastard, but that didn't mean he wasn't a little concerned. After all, as far as they knew, Hafiz had no other friends on the surface and no money to support himself. Where could he have gone? Would he return? And if he did... Malik shivered a little and set the three cans on the counter. Parts of his body still ached from the force of the beating he'd received a few days ago, though he'd always possessed a remarkably fast healing rate, and he couldn't bear the thought of going through it all over again...

A warm hand dropped down onto his shoulder, and he tensed without realizing, unconsciously recognizing that the hand didn't belong to his sister. At the same time, an arm slipped around his waist, and he was pressed backwards against a body that was rapidly becoming familiar. Malik was annoyed by how fast he felt himself relax. It usually took him ages to learn to relax around people, and he had never liked being touched by those he didn't know very well. The fact that he was already accepting Mariku's touch was... unnerving. He wanted to pull away, but he couldn't deny that the warmth was soothing, chasing away the lingering fear he felt when it came to the thought of facing his father again.

"Don't worry, pretty hikari," Mariku whispered into his ear. The feel of the hot air moving across Malik's skin made him shiver. "Your father won't be able to hurt you anymore. I promise you that."

Some part of him felt that he should probably answer that, perhaps with a plea for Mariku to not harm his father, but Malik remained silent, stunned by the fact that his own body was blatantly betraying him by accepting Mariku's soothing. He opened his mouth, unsure of what he was going to say, and was cut off when the phone rang. Less than a minute later, Isis appeared in the doorway. Her eyes widened slightly when she spotted the two of them, and then her eyebrows drew together as an almost puzzled look flashed across her face. She continued to stare at them as Malik blushed and tried to squirm away. Mariku was having none of it, however, and gleefully used both of his arms to pin his beautiful hikari into place as Isis picked up the phone.

"Ishtar residence, Isis speaking," she said into the phone, finally glancing away and gazing pointedly out the window. Malik forgot all about trying to escape when he heard the soft gasp that escaped her sister. When he looked at her, she had her hand over her mouth, but her face was turned away so that he couldn't see what the problem was. The news wasn't good, but he couldn't tell anything more than that. Her voice dropped, becoming a slow, quiet murmur that was impossible to overhear. It was several minutes before she hung up the phone, and even then, she continued to stare out the window.

"Nee-san, what's wrong?" Malik burst out finally, unable to keep his curiosity in check any longer. A chill ran down his spine when she turned to look at him. Her face had gone pale, and tears had collected in the corners of her eyes. When she spoke, he was suddenly glad that Mariku had refused to let go of him, because his legs went weak, and he probably would've crumbled to the ground in an embarrassing heap if it weren't for the strong grip of his yami.

"That was the hospital. Yuugi's grandfather had a heart attack."

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Please review!


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N:**I really have to drop cliffhangers more often. It's just too much fun to read the reviews afterwards. We're finally starting to get into the FUN territory... as the hikaris are beginning to warm up to their yamis. I should say that I had an extremely hard time with this chapter, as healing the rift between Bakura and Ryou while still keeping them in character proved to be a challenge, and I'm still not entirely happy with how it came out. I just couldn't figure out how to fix it. Oh, well. Enjoy!

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"I think you're making a huge mistake."

Those seven simple words echoed around the otherwise silent room, putting sound into the air for the first time in well over an hour. Jou licked his lips, not moving his gaze from his friends, wondering if those seven words would be enough to seal his death warrant. After a few minutes and there was no pain, he chanced a look up. Bakura was still sitting on the low couch by the far side of the wall, his hands folded loosely across his chest. He was staring off into space and didn't appear to have heard what Jou had said, though there was no doubt in the blond's mind that the thief had. Realizing that he was being ignored, he frowned deeply, unconsciously pushing his lower lip into a pout that never failed to get Seto to do whatever he wanted.

"I said - "

"I heard what you said," Bakura hissed, turning a pair of reddish brown eyes on the taller boy. There was danger and a clear warning gleaming in those eyes, probably one of the few that Bakura had ever bothered to issue.

Jou swallowed hard, momentarily unnerved. When the call had come about Yuugi's grandfather from Malik, Seto had gone immediately to the hospital to hassle the doctors. He was torn between staying behind to look after his friends and going to see how the man he'd always seen as a father figure was doing. Eventually, he'd decided that the news would come better from him, so he'd remained behind in the event that Yuugi woke up. Yami was still tucked into bed beside his hikari, and according to Seto, it would be some time before either of them joined the world of the living... but he felt better for being there with them. Life would have been alright, but unfortunately, about twenty minutes after Seto had left, Bakura had wandered in and taken up a space on the couch. It was hard to begrudge the thief for wanting to be close to Yami - or at least, that's why Jou assumed he was there - but his presence was somewhat disturbing, particularly when he was glaring so fiercely at nothing in particular. It took all of his courage and then some to drudge up the will to speak.

"Then you should start thinking about it," he answered, hoping that his fear of Bakura didn't show on his face. He'd seen what Bakura and Mariku were capable of. Hell, he'd seen what _Yami _could do when provoked. None of them took lightly to being challenged, especially about matters like this, and he had no source of protection with Yami unconscious and Seto gone. "Ryou is a good person, and for some reason, he actually seems to_ like_ you. He's suffered a lot, you know. He could use a yami."

Bakura scoffed and said nothing for a moment. When he spoke again, Jou jumped. "Why would I want to be with someone who is so weak?" he asked. If it had been anyone else, Jou would have said that the tone sounded almost... lost.

"Because he makes you strong in return?" the blond said cautiously, ready to jump up and dive for cover at the slightest hint that Bakura might decide to come after him. "There are different types of strength, Bakura. You of all people should understand that the most. Just 'cause Ryou wears his heart on his sleeve doesn't necessarily mean he's weak." He was silent for a moment, remembering the pain in Ryou's face after the death of his mother and sister. When his whole world had fallen into pieces. "After all, he was strong enough to start caring about you, wasn't he?"

Something that may have been surprise flickered briefly over Bakura's face, but it was gone before Jou got the chance to analyze it. "Weakness is unforgivable, no matter what the cause," he growled, but he sounded less certain than before.

Encouraged, Jou leaned back, though he made sure he didn't shift far enough that the bed stopped being between he and the thief. "Yeah? Well what if I told you that your refusal to get closer to Ryou could be seen as a weakness?"

He stiffened. "Explain."

"You don't really understand most emotions," Jou pointed out. "Anyone could see that. There's nothin' wrong with that, but it means you don't get how emotions can make you stronger. They give you something to focus on and work towards. Seto can borrow my energy because we're in love. We're soul mates. That automatically makes him more powerful. What you and Ryou share is even more than that. You're yami and hikari, ying and yang, a perfect whole when you come together. Right now, you're only a half, and no matter how strong you might be, you're always going to be weaker than someone who is a whole. But you can't focus solely on the power side of things. A bond borne solely of power will always be weak. It's gotta be stronger than that, and there's only one emotion that could bind you together with that kind of force."

There was no answer form the other side of the room. Jou eyed the other boy for a moment before looking away, deciding that he'd risked his life enough for one day. The next time he glanced up, Bakura was gone, and Yami's eyes were open. Jou jumped up instantly, forgetting all about Bakura in his haste to help Yami take a long sip of some ice water that had been left on the nightstand just in case. Yami drank the liquid gratefully and winced when Jou helped him to lie back down, like his body ached, even though he hadn't been doing anything more than lying in bed. He draped an arm around Yuugi's shoulders, tugging the hikari as close as possible, and gazed up at Jou.

"Thank you," he said quietly.

"Eh?" Jou blinked. "S'no problem, man. Listen, I gotta tell you - "

"Not for the water," Yami interrupted, waving his hand lazily. "For speaking to Bakura. I know that couldn't have been easy for you, Jou, but I think you might have been able to put it into words in a way that he will actually understand." His eyes closed and he gave a half-yawn that somehow seemed dignified. "I believe he has gone to Ryou, and now there is hope that the two of them will be able to patch things up thanks to you."

Jou blushed. "I didn't do anything, really," he mumbled, embarrassed but pleased. The reincarnated Pharaoh merely smiled at him one more time before those enthralling crimson eyes closed, and the older boy fell back into sleep. Sighing, Jou drank the rest of the water in the glass and leaned back, wondering if Yami was right. Would Ryou and Bakura be able to get it together? He hoped so. In spite of how Bakura could act sometimes, he honestly thought that both of them would be good for each other if they could past this. Much as he might dislike Bakura sometimes, he and Ryou truly were a perfect whole. Hopefully the two of them would be able to realize that before it was too late.

**GMA**

The house was cold, and the space in front of the broken window was damp from the storm that had passed over the city through the night. Ryou sat down on the couch and looked around the room slowly. Really, he was probably fortunate that no thieves had broken in while he'd been otherwise preoccupied. But then, it wasn't like it really mattered. His father was still missing, and he was beginning to think he would probably never see the man again. Samira's presence, even though she had only been around for a few days, lingered in the house like a vile stench he couldn't rid of. Everything seemed to be tainted by her touch, even the most valued of his own or Amane's things. He didn't want to stay in the house anymore... But it would be difficult to sell it without his father's permission.

His father. He winced at the repeated thoughts of Osamu and reached into his pocket. Slowly, he drew out the crumpled letter and looked down at it. The chance to show it to anyone who would care had come and gone. Malik and Yuugi had their own problems to worry about, and Bakura had made it clear that he had never really cared about Ryou or his father. That realization still stung a lot more than it should have. Biting his lip, he set about carefully unwrapping the letter, taking care to make sure it wouldn't rip. It was short and to the point, which was like Osamu, who seemed to dislike communicating with his son in any medium, but at the same time something felt wrong with it. Ryou didn't believe Osamu had written the letter. A sixth sense was telling him that his father had likely been dead long before the letter was penned. Unwillingly, his eyes lowered, scanning the words.

"_Ryou. I've been called back to Egypt unexpectedly. Samira is staying here to sell the house and then she'll be joining me. We'll get you set up in an apartment with the funds from the house once it sells. Dad._"

The tone of the letter felt completely wrong. For one thing, Ryou honestly couldn't remember the last time that Osamu had signed a letter with such an affectionate name. It was usually signed with his first name, or more rarely, "Otou-san". But more than that... the brief notes he received from his father always held an underlying current of guilt, like Osamu wanted to write more, knew that he should, but just couldn't bring himself to do it. This letter was completely different. Clinical and cold, more a statement of facts than anything else, like someone else had written it. Someone like Samira. Ryou bit his lip. He hadn't wanted to accept it at first, but now he was beginning to come to terms with the fact that his father was more than likely dead, murdered at the hands of the first woman he had let into his life since Bakura Emiko had breathed her last breath.

How could he ignore that? Now he was truly alone in the world, and the thought was unbearable. Fighting back the tears that threatened to escape, he closed his eyes. Yes, Osamu had been a miserable parent who usually did his best to ignore the fact that even had a son, but he had still been Ryou's father. His last tie to both his mother and Amane. Yuugi and Malik were his best friends, true, but there was a hole in his life that not even they could fill. He had been foolish enough to think that maybe Bakura could have, but the yami had made it perfectly clear that would never happen. Ryou shuddered, his body trembling as he finally gave into the quiet sobs that had been threatening him all night.

He didn't know how long he sat there and cried, but he probably would've wept for hours still if it hadn't been for the noise. It was a soft sound that most people would have disregarded, but Ryou froze as soon as it registered. Holding his breath, he turned, looking at the entrance from the kitchen. There was just enough time for him to catch a glimpse of dark hair before Samira was on top of him, her eyes flashing with fury. She was in her human form, but her arms were filled with an unnatural strength. No matter what he did, he couldn't get her off. A harsh blow to the side of the head stunned him, allowing her to straddle him and pin his wrists down beside his head.

"Give me the Millennium Ring," she hissed, a wild light in her eyes. Her fingers tightened cruelly around his wrists, a silent warning to the kind of pain that she could unleash. "Or I will break every single bone in your body. Do you know how that would feel, Rabbit? It's complete and utter agony. Believe me, I know."

There was no denying the fear that shot through him, though he did his best to hide it. "I can't," Ryou choked out, squinting up at her. His vision had gone slightly blurry from the blow. "I don't have it anymore."

Samira scoffed. "Like I'm going to believe that," she sneered. "You're the hikari. The Ring belongs to you. Give it to me!" Her shout was accompanied by another solid hit to his other cheek. Ryou's head snapped to the side, and he tasted blood as his teeth sliced into his bottom lip. He gasped from the pain but said nothing, which only seemed to infuriate her more. The next blow was to his upper chest, the fourth to his unprotected stomach, driving all of the breath from his lungs. Instantly, the room began to darken, and he realized that he was on the verge of passing out as she struck him again in the chest.

Then, suddenly, she was gone. Ryou rolled onto his side and clutched at his stomach, gasping for breath and coughing harshly. His whole body ached with pain, though it was mostly centered around his chest and stomach, which felt like they had been set on fire. Slowly, the sounds of battle infringed on his senses, and he opened his eyes to see that someone was standing in front of him, fighting with a clearly enraged Samira. Someone tall... with white hair... Ryou's eyes widened, and he forgot all about the pain as he began wondering if Samira had hit him harder than he realized, because surely Takahashi Bakura couldn't be standing in front of him, _protecting_ him from Samira?

"Get out of my way!" Samira roared, holding her staff in her hands. "Why are you bothering to protect him? I thought you hated the little brat. Weren't you the one who decided that weakness was a curse?"

A low growl escaped Bakura, discernible only because Ryou was so close to him. "The boy belongs to me," he hissed, voice low and dangerous. Samira actually backed up a step before she realized what she was doing and scowled. "If you touch him again, I will kill you where you stand."

"Empty threat." Samira tossed her hair over one slender shoulder. "He doesn't even have the Millennium Ring. You have no power right now."

"I don't need a duel monster to kill you with my bare hands," Bakura replied calmly. Moving too quickly for Ryou to follow, he drew a knife from the waistband of his pants and hurtled it in Samira's direction. She clearly wasn't expecting the attack, and the slender blade caught her in the shoulder. Bakura followed up immediately, launching a solid punch to the side of her face. Her body flew backwards and struck the floor. He stood over her and began making strange symbols with his hands while he muttered words under his breath. Samira screamed as the ground beneath her body began to turn into a pool of darkness. Seconds later, she plummeted through, and the floor returned to normal seconds before the darkness would have spread to Bakura, who fell to one knee with a muffled grunt.

"Bakura!" Forgetting that he was supposed to be pissed with the older boy, Ryou practically flew off of the couch and raced to Bakura's side. "What's wrong? Did she hurt you?"

Bakura huffed a sound that might have been a laugh. "I'll never understand weaklings like you," he panted, but there was no malice in his voice. He reached out unexpectedly and grabbed the front of Ryou's shoulder, dragging him forward until they were face to face. Ryou flinched, but all Bakura did was search his eyes. "Why?"

"What what?" Ryou asked blankly.

"Why do you care about me?"

Ryou blinked and turned an interesting shade of pink. "W-what... what... what makes you think I care about you?"

"You were crying," Bakura said quietly. His expression was impossible to read. "If you didn't care about me, you wouldn't have cared enough to cry."

"Well... so what?" Ryou said finally, recalling the situation enough to glare accusingly at Bakura. "After the kinds of things you said, anyone would be upset. Besides, why are you even here?" He twisted away and folded his arms, wincing slightly. Even that slight movement made his chest and stomach begin to ache with a steady pain. Samira packed one hell of a punch. "I thought I was nothing more than a weakling to you. I can't believe that you would care enough to come and save me."

There was a brief pause on Bakura's part, and then he reached out and cupped Ryou's cheek, forcing the younger boy to turn back to look at him. Ryou found himself swallowing hard as he stared into Bakura's eyes. It was like gazing into an ocean. Bakura's grip was harsh, but not punishing, and his thumb absently stroked one of the bruises that Samira had left on Ryou's pale skin. The yami didn't say anything for a long time, so long that Ryou eventually began to fidget. He didn't know if he liked the look on Bakura's face. An internal alarm was blaring, warning him that he needed to back away and soon if he didn't want to get himself into trouble again. But when he tried to draw back, Bakura scowled and tightened his grip.

"You belong to me," he said in a low voice.

"Wait... what?" A look of astonishment on his face, Ryou reached up and gripped Bakura's wrist. "You don't get to just decide that. Regardless of whether we're yami and hikari, you - "

Whatever else he was about to say was cut off when Bakura leaned down and kissed him. It was a brief kiss, harsher than anything he'd experienced before, but it was enough to make his knees weak. He stared, mouth open and completely speechless, as Bakura pulled back and smirked. Without saying a word, his yami reached into his pocket and pulled out a very familiar item. The Millennium Ring. Almost gently, Bakura released his grip on Ryou's cheek and then slipped the Ring around his neck. Ryou shivered as the Ring fell against his chest, causing a flood of warmth that probably would've made him collapse had Bakura not been close enough for him to lean against.

"You belong to me," Bakura repeated into his hair. "Don't forget that."

"I won't," he managed. The room was spinning, and he decided that he could pick a fight later on, because there were a lot of things he wanted to yell at Bakura for. But right then, his legs were finally letting him down literally, and he couldn't have protested if his life depended on it. He closed his eyes, barely feeling the pain when Bakura grabbed him by the shoulders before he could fall, and let the blissful wave of sleep take hold.

**GMA**

Yuugi woke up slowly, pulling himself out of the deep sleep that he'd been in. Without opening his eyes, he took a moment to assess his situation and how he was feeling. His body still ached a little, and he felt the way he did whenever he had to run away from bullies, like he'd been working too hard. He was hot, and he could feel a headache lingering in the back of his head, threatening to become much worse if he did anything too strenuous. But it wasn't nearly as bad as it had been when he was under the influence of the spell. There wasn't even that faint ache in his chest, which told him that the person lying beside him in the bed was definitely Yami. That more than anything was enough to finally make him open his eyes and look around.

Yami was sitting up, his back resting against several pillows. Yuugi's head was cushioned on the older boy's stomach, with Yami's hand resting on top of his hair. Jou was sitting in the chair beside the bed. His face lit up when he saw that Yuugi was awake, and Yuugi smiled at him faintly, seeing the signs of strain in his friend's expression. "Hi," he greeted softly, making to move his head up. The hand on his head tightened, gently preventing him from straightening up. Normally he would have been annoyed, but he felt so weak that he didn't really mind.

"Don't try to get up yet, Aibou," Yami said, keeping his voice quiet. "Your body is still trying to heal."

"How are you feeling?" Jou asked at exactly the same time.

"I'm fine," Yuugi answered to both of them, blushing a little. Lying on top of someone was a surprisingly intimate thing to do, even if it was just Jou watching them. "I think the spell is gone."

"It is, but your body is still coping with the after-effects," Yami told him. "You're not used to that kind of magic, and it was a particularly strong spell. If it hadn't been for our bond..." His voice trailed off, and the hand that clenched around his hair told him everything. He shivered, and felt Yami's hand leave his hair and trail soothingly down his back. "It will be a few days before you're back to normal, and you'll likely be susceptible to curses from that duel monster from now on."

"Do you know who it was?" he asked, glad that he was facing away. It was embarrassing enough that Jou could probably see how much he was enjoying the small circles Yami was rubbing on his back.

"I have some ideas," he answered darkly. "Based on the crescent moon mark in your soul room, I'm guess it was the Maiden of the Moonlight. That's her calling card."

The name was unfamiliar. Recognizing that, Jou stood up and fetched a card from the nightstand. He showed it to Yuugi, who glanced down at the picture curiously. Maiden of the Moonlight was a spellcaster, and the picture showed a young woman with dark brown hair, pointed ears, blue eyes, and a wicked smile, holding a glowing yellow crescent moon between her hands. She was wearing a toga-style white dress and had enormous angel wings. Yuugi flinched away from the card and Jou quickly pulled it back, tucking it into his pocket. Although he didn't remember most of what had happened, he could still recall Tsuki and the cold blue eyes that had burned into his mind against his will. It might have been just a piece of paper, but the card's picture had exactly the same eyes.

"It was her," he whispered, shivering harder this time. Yami and Jou exchanged concerned looks as Yami reached down and pulled the cover up over his hikari's body.

"Don't worry about it, Yuug'," Jou said hastily. "She's gone and she won't dare come back when you're here. Seto's got the best security that money can buy. You're perfectly safe here."

Yuugi nodded with a faint, fake smile, wondering how true that statement really was. Samira had gone after Ryou's father to get to Ryou, so who was to say that Tsuki – or Maiden of the Moonlight – wouldn't do the exact same thing? It would be easy for the duel monster to go after any of his friends, especially Ryou, who didn't even have Bakura nearby to protect him. Or... his blood ran cold and he froze as one of his few memories of the day before washed over him. He could distinctly recall leaving Tsuki downstairs with his grandfather while he went upstairs to lie down. His head had been hurting so badly at the time that he hadn't even thought twice about it. She'd been alone with Sugoroku for who knew how long?

"What's wrong?" Jou hovered over him, looking worried. He hated not being able to help out his friends when they were in trouble. It made him feel useless.

"My... my grandfather," Yuugi said breathlessly, terrified. When he saw the look on Jou's face and felt the way Yami started, his heart sank. "What?"

"I wasn't going to tell you right away, but I guess I should," the blond said hesitantly. "Your grandfather is in the hospital. Isis called and told us that one of the nurses phoned her. He had a heart attack."

The world went dark. Yuugi felt like he could barely breathe as the information sank into his mind, curling tendrils around his heart. He was only vaguely aware of Jou and Yami fearfully calling his name as he struggled to understand and think the situation through. Had Tsuki hurt his grandfather in some way? Or was the attack a natural one? Sugoroku had been having heart trouble for some time, after all. His pills hadn't been working as well as they used to, and there had been a couple of times when Sugoroku had felt faint and needed to sit down after doing anything that required physical activity. So there was a chance that the attack hadn't been caused by Tsuki. But then again... he found himself thinking about Ryou's father and shuddered, feeling sick.

"Yuugi!" Someone was calling his name, shouting it really, and sounding extremely worried. Yuugi struggled to pull himself together and gradually became aware of the fact that he was now sitting on Yami's lap. One of Yami's arms was wound tightly around his shoulders, and the other had tipped his chin up so that he had no choice but to look up into Yami's face. The sight of the familiar crimson eyes, filled with concern, was almost enough to make the tears escape. He held them back just barely and, unnoticed by Yami or Jou, curled his fingers into the covers at Yami's midsection.

"Are you alright? Do you need something? Should I call the hospital?" Jou asked anxiously, fear written all over his face. "I'm sorry, Yuugi. I didn't want to have to tell you like that, but..."

"It's okay," he whispered, blinking and glancing away from Yami. "I was just... surprised. Have you heard anything, Jou? Is he...?" He couldn't quite bring himself to finish that sentence. Old terror swept over him and he felt his hands starting to shake. What would he do if his grandfather died? Sugoroku had been willing to take him in when no one else wanted him. Without him, Yuugi would probably have to go back to the orphanage until he turned eighteen. Why did the people around him always have to suffer?

"I haven't heard from Seto in a while, but I'll go call him," said the blond. He reached over and squeezed Yuugi's shoulder warmly. "Don't worry. I'm sure that he'll be fine. Jii-chan is one tough old guy."

Yuugi managed a smile. "I know," he said quietly. It was true, and he knew that his friend was just trying to make him feel better, but regardless of whether the attack was natural or caused by the duel monster, Sugoroku could still easily die. The thought made him feel dizzy, and without thinking, he rested his head against Yami's chest as Jou left the room. When he was sure they were alone, he couldn't stop himself from asking. "Do you think that Maiden of the Moonlight...?"

"I don't know. I've been wondering the same thing since Jou told me about your grandfather. She was gone by the time I got there, but I have no way of knowing how long she was with him. It never even occurred to me to check him for spells. I'm sorry, Little One." The guilt in Yami's voice made Yuugi wince.

"It's not your fault," he mumbled against the warm skin, blinking heavily. Belatedly, he realized that neither of them were dressed in anything more than their boxers. His cheeks began to heat up, but he tried hard not to react. The warmth of Yami's skin was enough to make the dreadful dizzy feeling go away. "Will he... be alright?"

Yami sighed. "I wish I could tell you that, but I can't. Go to sleep, Aibou. I'll wake you up when Jou comes back."

"Promise?" Yuugi finally allowed his eyes to slip closed as Yami's fingers began running through his hair, a soothing movement that had him on the cusp of sleep immediately. He wasn't awake long enough to hear Yami speak, but that didn't really matter. Some part of him already knew that what the older boy's answer would be.

**GMA**

As Yuugi's body relaxed against him to the point where he knew that his hikari was asleep again, Yami rested their combined weight against the pillows behind his back and cursed softly under his breath. He didn't want to admit to Yuugi that he was almost certain that Maiden of the Moonlight had something to do with Sugoroku's illness. His little partner was still rather sick. All night and day, his temperature had hovered in the low hundreds, and it spiked whenever Yami was away from him for any length of time. The spell had been banished, true, but Yuugi's weak mortal body was having a difficult time coping with the after effects, and any excessive stress could be enough to give him a serious setback.

But there hadn't been any way to avoid telling Yuugi about his grandfather. Frowning, he shifted the slender body in his arms, pulling Yuugi against him more securely so that Yuugi's head fit comfortably into the crook of his neck and shoulder. He would be damned if anyone or anything got within reach of Yuugi again, but the harming of Yuugi's friends and family wasn't something that he had thought to ward against... and he hated himself for that. Just because Maiden of the Moonlight or Dark Witch were unable to hate Yuugi or Ryou physically didn't mean they couldn't do so emotionally, and Yami didn't know how to protect his hikari against that. It made him feel helpless, and he hated that more than anything.

"Pegasus will pay for this, Yuugi, I swear it," he whispered, the eye of Ra gleaming briefly on his forehead. The shadows danced around him for a split second, stroking Yami's skin before they were banished by a weak pulse of Yuugi's light as his hikari groaned and cuddled even closer. Yami smiled grimly and brushed a kiss over Yuugi's forehead in response, picturing the shadow game that he would invite Pegasus to play. Oh yes. Revenge would be theirs... and it would be fun.

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Oh my... is that some of season zero Yami peeking through? Heehee. Please review!


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N:** Apparently everyone likes season zero Yami. Well, that's okay, who wouldn't? Hehe. Surprisingly, there is no Yami or Yuugi in this chapter (seriously, I don't know how this happened again) but I guess it was needed to move the plot along. This chapter turned out longer than I had intended it to be, but I like how it was more than I thought I would. I was able to end on a cute note which made me happy. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, everyone. Please enjoy!

* * *

The small, frail body rested beneath the pristine white sheets, tucked neatly into the bed. His chest rose and fell slowly, the slight movement the only indication that Sugoroku Mutou was still alive aside from the mildly annoying beeping sounds of the machines monitoring his health. Isis Ishtar stood in front of the viewing window and gazed inside of the private room, watching over the elderly man with a sorrowful expression on her young face. For once, she didn't need the power of the Millennium Tawk to see the future. This had been coming for some time, and she had dreaded it from the day that she had first visited the Game Shop and seen the role that Sugoroku played in the lives of three very innocent boys. He was going to die, and their world was going to fall apart.

One of the day nurses pushed by Isis and entered the room, performing her hourly check to make sure that everything was still functioning properly. She picked up the clipboard attached to the end of his bed and began making notes. Sugoroku hadn't awoken since he'd been brought to the hospital, and in fact, his condition had only steadily grown worse. He'd started out in a regular hospital room, but had ended up being moved to one much closer to the nurse's station so that help wouldn't be so far away if something went wrong. Many of the nurses took every opportunity to walk by his room on a regular basis, generally with an expression on their faces that made it clear they were just waiting for the moment when they would have to sprint into the room and do everything humanely possible to save the man when his heart failed again.

Isis sighed and closed her eyes briefly, feeling the beginnings of a headache. "I expect the doctor gave you the same answer he told me?" she said, knowing on an instinctual level that Kaiba Seto had come up right behind her.

"He told me that there is little they can do to help. The medication isn't having the kind of effect that it's supposed to. It's up to him now," Seto reported, blue eyes even colder than normal. It was clear that he was not pleased by what he'd been told, but for once, no amount of money was going to change things. A million dollar donation to the hospital would not help Sugoroku's condition. There was simply nothing anyone could do if the man's body chose to fail, and that possibility was looking more likely by the minute.

"I thought so," she murmured, shoulders slumped. She had hoped that there would be some better news, but... When she spoke again, she made an effort to sound detached. "I can feel the presence of a spell on his body. His heart was already weakened, but the spell is causing even more damage. Can you reverse it?"

Seto blinked, the only sign that he was surprised, and stepped around her, pushing into the room. The nurse jumped, startled by his sudden appearance, and began to scold him for entering the room without permission. Her words went ignored, and she cut herself off abruptly when she found herself the recipient of an icy blue glare. Swallowing hard, the woman quickly vacated the room, leaving Seto alone. Unphased by the brief encounter, he stepped over to the bed and leaned over Sugoroku, one hand stretched out over the man's chest. His eyes closed and he took a deep breath, automatically syncing his breathing to that of Sugoroku's as he dove inside for his magic. A flickering ball of shadows, paler than normal, began to grow in his hand as Isis watched and held her breath.

Magic was not something that Seto was a huge fan of, and overall, he much preferred logical science to the often inexplicable ways of the shadows. But sometimes, there was no choice, and this happened to be one of those times. A frown crossed his face as he began guiding the magic into Sugoroku's body, treading carefully, fully expecting the backlash of spell and prepared when it came. His hand jerked back instinctively at the sharp burn, but he calmed himself before he could lose control and began again. The magic of the duel monster was oozing through Sugoroku's veins, polluting his heart, organs and brain, and there was no way for him to get rid of it. He simply wasn't strong enough. Seto opened his eyes, feeling sick and faint. A lesser man might have collapsed on the spot, but he managed to fumble his way over to the only chair in the room before his legs gave out on him. Isis was in the room and at his side in seconds.

"I can't get rid of it," he gasped before she could speak. "It's too strong, and it's had a chance to grow and fester. Maybe if I had Jou here with me, our combined strengths might be enough, but..."

She reached out and placed a hand to his forehead, wincing at the clammy feel of his skin. "It will kill you if you try again," she murmured, her heart sinking. Her one hope had been that Seto's magic would be strong enough, but it appeared that Maiden of the Moonlight had poured everything she had into the spells, and Sugoroku's already weakened heart wasn't helping matters. "I think you should go home, Kaiba-san. You don't look very well, and if you collapse here, they'll want to keep you overnight."

It was a testament to how Seto was truly feeling that he didn't argue, merely nodded and stood up, swaying just a bit. Isis hovered by his side, ready to steady him if he fell, and ended up escorting him down to the lobby. The trip was made in silence, with neither of them being quite sure of what to say. Seto was scowling, his blue eyes stormy. He didn't like being defeated by a spell, especially one cast by a duel monster. Never mind that there were other factors in place. It was still immensely frustrating! And it didn't help that he kept thinking of his pup and the worried look that had been on Jou's face when he left the house.

"I will try again," he said clearly, looking straight ahead to the limo waiting outside as the two of them approached the entrance/exit to the hospital. His voice was forceful, with a clear warning for her not to protest.

A faint smile spread across Isis's face, and she rested a hand briefly on his arm. "I would expect nothing less from our Pharaoh's Advisor," she observed. Sheer habit kept Seto from turning to her with a startled look. With effort, he pretended to ignore the comment as his chauffer leapt out of the limo and pulled the door open for him. He climbed in and shut the door, and the chauffer scurried around the driver's side and hurriedly got in. Isis stood back at the car drove away, the smile slowly slipping off of her face.

Seto was a surprisingly strong and talented mage, considering that his soul had been reincarnated, and that, in this life, he had not been exposed to magic until his teens. If _he_ couldn't remove the spell on Sugoroku... Isis grimaced and turned to walk back into the hospital, her mind spinning. Yami, Bakura, and Mariku would need all of their strength to protect their hikaris, and truth be told, she didn't have a whole lot of magic available to her. Most of what she possessed came from the Millennium Tawk in the form of visions, so she knew there was no use in her even trying to break the spell. Any attempt on her part would likely only aggravate the spell and cause Sugoroku's death that much faster. All she could do was pray.

After a quick stop at the cafeteria for a bottle of water, she wearily walked to the elevator, planning to take up her position as guard again, just in case someone returned to finish the job. As it was getting late in the day, she was able to get back up to Sugoroku's room fairly quickly. In retrospect, she realized that was what saved the man's life, because as she came around the corner, her senses tingled, alerting her to the fact that magic that was being cast somewhere nearby – and she had a sneaking suspicion that she knew exactly where it was. Isis immediately picked up the pace, ignoring the nurse who called out to her, and practically sprinted down the hall to Sugoroku's room. A gasp escaped her when she saw what was going on.

A woman and a boy were standing on either side of Sugoroku's bed. The woman had blonde hair, blue eyes, and was wearing a toga-style white dress - the Maiden of the Moonlight in her human form. Tsuki was standing over Sugoroku with a smirk on her face and two fingers pressed against the elderly man's forehead. A gleaming crescent moon bloomed under her fingers, imprinting onto his skin as a muffled groan escaped him. The boy, who didn't look a day older than twelve or thirteen, had his hands above Sugoroku's chest. His eyes were closed and his concentration was fixed on the ball of white magic forming above his palm. Magic leeched into Sugoroku's body, stealing energy from him. When Isis gasped, both duel monsters turned to face her with startled looks, and then the boy scowled deeply as he pulled his hands back, clearly unimpressed at having his mission disturbed.

"Get away from him!" Isis commanded, snapping out of her shock and throwing open the door. She glanced quickly at Sugoroku, noting that he was still breathing, before she glared at the invaders. "Leave this place at once!"

"Back off, girl," the boy warned, looking angry. "You're dealing with things that you don't understand. Let us do our work and be done with it, and we'll get out of your way, yeah?"

Isis schooled her face into a calm mask, hiding the fear that was pounding through her veins. What if the damage to Sugoroku was already irreversible? What if they turned on her next? She pushed away those questions and squared her shoulders, pinning them with a fierce look. "I will not. You have no _right_ to torment that man. He is innocent. Take your spell off of him and leave."

"Think you can order us around?" he growled, eyes flashing. His hand came up, and pure instinct drove Isis to jump out of the way. As a result, the bolt of white light passed neatly through the door and struck the opposite wall, causing an explosion that rocked the whole floor and nearly sent Isis to her knees. Immediately, people outside started screaming, and after a moment's pause, she heard running footsteps heading their way. Isis hesitated only a moment before she reached out and slammed the door shut. That might have trapped her in the room with them, but at least no more innocent people would be able to get caught up in this whole mess. The boy glared at her, teeth bared in warning, and spoke to the girl behind him.

"Are you finished, Tsuki?" he inquired. "I don't want to waste all of my energy on that old hag."

"I'm almost done, Shizu, keep your pants on," Tsuki said lightly. She laughed, her eyes glittering, and looked directly into Isis's face. Isis quickly averted her gaze, knowing better than to look into the bewitching eyes of Maiden of the Moonlight. "You'll never get this spell off of him now," she taunted, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "Imagine my surprise when I felt someone strong enough to test my wards! If I hadn't been so close, you might have actually been able to remove it. We had to hurry right over so that I could reinforce my spell. It was so easy to put on him, you know. Humans are so gullible..."

"Witch," Isis bit out, wishing she had that she had enough command of the shadows to lash out at the creatures. Her hand rose unconsciously and she fingered the Millennium Tawk. Its power hummed under her skin like a dull ache, but she didn't know what to do with it, or even if it could be used for any purpose besides visions. "I said get _away_ from him!"

Her voice jumped in fury as the power stopped fizzing and blazed into true pain. Isis cried out as her legs grew weak and she slumped to her knees. A high, soft chanting filled the air and the two duel monsters cringed, their hands flying to cover their ears as the sound of the singing grew louder. Tsuki reverted to her Maiden of the Moonlight form, and Shizu became a duel monster with red and black armour... someone vaguely familiar. He lashed out, his hand stretching towards Isis and then drawing back sharply. She gasped dully as something _pulled_, and then a misty white substance was flowing out of her skin, making her whole body go limp and the chanting grow softer and more distant. Both of the duel monsters took the opportunity to retreat, leaping out the window as Isis collapsed onto the ground; the last thing she saw was blue skin, long brown hair, and a flowing green dress vanishing before she passed out.

**GMA**

For most of Malik's life, even since their mother had died when he was very young, Isis had been both a sister and a mother to him. She had always done what it took to act in what she felt were his best interests, making choices and decisions for him based on what she thought was best, often without consulting him, all in the name of trying to make his life a better one. When he was younger, he hadn't minded that much, because that had made her feel that much more like his mother. Now that he was older, however, he found himself cursing the attitude that he had once thoroughly enjoyed. Isis's habit of sticking her nose into his business, of trying to protect and help him beyond her means, was going to get her killed. It had already gotten her wounded to the point where he'd received one of the worst phone calls he could ever remember getting.

He couldn't recall hanging up the phone or arriving at the hospital. The nurse's words were still echoing in his mind when he became aware of the fact that Mariku was steering him into the hospital, one hand wrapped protectively around Malik's shoulders, the other buried deeply in Mariku's pocket. No doubt he was holding onto the knife he'd brought from his kitchen, ready to whip it out at the slightest hint that a duel monster might attack them. Every person in the waiting room was subjected to the yami's ruthless, scruntizing stare as Malik stumbled towards the Information Desk on legs that didn't quite want to work properly.

"How can I help you?" The rather bored looking girl behind the desk looked up at him. Her jaws moved rhythmically before her lips pursed and she blew a small pink bubble.

Malik just stared at her, unable to speak. Mariku stepped up beside him, cast one last suspicious glare around the room, and then leaned forward. "We're looking for Ishtar Isis."

The girl typed the information into her computer and popped her bubble before she spoke. "Second floor, room 204."

Gently but firmly, Mariku pulled his hikari away from the desk and led him towards the elevators. He was concerned, though he was doing an excellent job of hiding it, since he didn't want to risk alarming Malik anymore. Malik had just... shut down after the phone call about Isis, and he hadn't even reacted to the motorcycle ride like he normally did. Mariku had been forced to place his hikari in front of him, since Malik seemed incapable of doing something as simple as holding on so that he wouldn't fall off. The boy was almost catatonic in his fear that something might have happened to his sister. It was making Mariku re-think his approach to the annoying girl who held such a position of reverence in Malik's life.

The elevator was crowded, but most people gave the two boys a wide berth after seeing the deadly look that Mariku aimed in their direction. They got off on the second floor and followed the signs towards Isis's room, but Malik stopped walking just before he got to the door. He stared straight ahead, feeling his heart performing a series of twists that made him feel ill. How could he face his sister when it was his fault that something had happened to her? Isis was perfectly healthy and there was no reason for her to just collapse. That, combined with the attacks on Ryou's father and Yuugi's grandfather, left him with the sickening feeling that she had been attacked because of her relation to him. Something was trying to get to him through her. Unconsciously, he grabbed onto the Millennium Rod, twisting it in his fingers, thinking about what would happen if Isis died...

A warm, pleasant pressure against his mouth slowly pulled him out of his nightmarish thoughts, forcing him to concentrate on reality. Mariku was kissing him, he realized, staring with dazed eyes up into Mariku's face. It should have made him angry, and he knew that he should be pushing the older boy away and getting angry, but the feeling was actually... comforting. Even enjoyable. His yami was watching him closely and, when he saw that Malik was with him, pulled back. Malik couldn't stop the flash of disappointment that raced through him, and he frowned, confused. Wasn't he supposed to hate Mariku? When had _that _changed?

"Stop worrying, Kitten," Mariku said, his voice filled with unaccustomed gentleness. "Your sister will be fine. She's too strong to let a duel monster get the better of her."

Malik blinked. "Did you just compliment my sister?" he asked incredulously.

Mariku snorted. "If that's what you're focusing on, you must be more out of it than I thought," he remarked with a roll of his eyes, pushing the door open. Flushing, Malik haughtily stalked by him and stopped short when he saw his sister.

Isis was propped up in bed by several pillows. Her face was pale behind her tan, and for once, the usual ornaments adorning her hair were missing. The only jewellery she was wearing was the Millennium Tawk. At first, her eyes were closed, but when she heard the two of them, she tilted her head to the side and looked at them. "Little brother," she greeted, her voice heavy with exhaustion.

"Nee-chan." Malik would never have admitted it, but there just might have been a hint of tears in his lavender eyes as he flew to his sister's side and practically tackled her. Isis smiled wearily and managed to bring one of her arms up and around Malik's waist. The effort it cost her to move was obvious when her head fell back against the pillows.

"Don't worry, Malik," she whispered into his ear. "I'm fine, honestly. I wish they hadn't called you. I know that they made you worry for no reason."

"You being in the hospital is _not _no reason," Malik growled in response, blinking his eyes rapidly. He pulled back from the embrace, embarrassed that she'd nearly seen him cry, and sat down in the chair beside her bed. Mariku appeared behind him, hovering close enough to help if something should go wrong, but far enough away to give them the illusion of privacy. Isis glanced up at him, but for once, she didn't scowl. Instead, she actually offered him a little smile, which very nearly gave the yami heart failure. Her smile turned a touch more wicked and Malik rolled his eyes, convinced that his sister had to be doing well if she was able to take such joy in tormenting Mariku. "Nee-chan, what happened?"

"I was standing watch over Yuugi's grandfather," she said reluctantly, knowing that no amount of distraction would prevent Malik from learning the truth. "Kaiba stopped by and made an attempt to lift the spell, but it proved to be too strong for him to break. I escorted him downstairs and when I came back up, two duel monsters were attacking Sugoroku-san." Her face darkened at the memory. "I tried to stop them, but they were too powerful, and both of them ended up escaping after I was incapacitated."

"Did you recognize them?" Mariku asked.

"Yes. One of them was Maiden of the Moonlight, and although I only caught a glimpse of the other, I believe it was Silent Magician," she replied, recalling the black and red armour. "I'm not in any danger. I don't have a spell on me," she added, seeking to put Malik's fears to rest. "There wasn't enough time for that, since we'd attracted some attention by that point. I think he just stole my energy and that caused me to pass out. All I need is sleep and a good meal and I'll be back to normal."

Malik's shoulders slumped as a wave of relief shot through him. He'd been utterly terrified... Isis was the only family that he had left, aside from his father. Without her, he would have been completely lost. The thought that she might have died thinking that he was angry at her haunted him. His hand shaking slightly, he reached out and took hers. "Nee-chan... I'm sorry. This is all my fault."

"Malik, stop," Isis said sharply. "No, it's not. Don't you dare think that way. I was foolish for confronting the two of them on my own instead of calling for help. I don't have enough magic for that." Her free hand brushed the Millennium Tawk and she frowned deeply, staring straight into his eyes. "It's _not_ your fault, understand? He was here for Yuugi's grandfather and I interrupted them. Besides, don't forget that I also have a Millennium Item, and so I'd be a target for Pegasus regardless of whether you had the Rod." She squeezed his hand tightly, hoping that her words were getting through his sometimes too-thick skull.

He just nodded, his lips pressed into a thin line, and she sighed. "I know you don't believe me, but it's the truth. I wouldn't lie to you about something so important. Now, listen. I want you to go with Mariku to Kaiba's house and stay there tonight."

"What?" Malik looked at her incredulously. "I'm not leaving you!"

"Oh yes you are," she said grimly. This was one thing that she was not willing to back down on. "I doubt those two are going to come back now, but if they do, I don't want you here. You'll only get caught in the crossfire. It will be safer for you at Kaiba's house. I know the Pharaoh and Kaiba are both there and they will be able to help protect you if something happens. Plus Kaiba has barriers on his house that would deter anyone from trying to break in. It will be safer there."

"I'm not going unless you come with me," he said.

"Stop being so stubborn." Isis shook her head. "I can't leave. Not with Sugoroku here, defenceless." Not to mention that it was taking all of her strength just to speak, never mind getting out of bed.

"But - "

"I can put wards up," Mariku broke in before Malik could say something he might regret. Both siblings looked at him, but he kept his eyes on Malik. "Shadow wards. They'll offer additional protection and will alert us if anything has gone wrong. Is that okay?"

Lavender eyes blinked with surprise. "Y-yeah. I guess."

"That would be very helpful," said Isis, concealing her surprise. She cast a quick glance at Mariku, who met her eyes and nodded silently. It made her relax, to think that she could entrust the safety of her brother to his yami. Mariku was a pain, and she didn't like the way he looked at Malik sometimes, but she knew that nothing would ever hurt Malik as long as he was around. A wave of exhaustion engulfed her, and she sighed sleepily, finally feeling like she would be able to rest now that she knew Malik would be alright. "Be careful tonight," she whispered, squeezing his hand gently. "Take no risks. Stay near Mariku, and remember that I will always love you."

"I love you too," he mumbled, allowing Mariku to hook an arm around his waist and pull him to his feet. He suddenly felt very tired, so he didn't protest when Mariku laced their fingers together so that both of them were holding onto the Rod. A soft gasp escaped him when he felt the strange _pull _from somewhere deep inside of him. Energy rushed out of his body and into the Rod so quickly that his knees gave out and he would have fallen had Mariku not been holding onto him. Visible only to those with shadow magic, fine tendrils of darkness oozed out of the end of the Rod and crept across the ground, eventually forming a solid box around the room.

"Thank you," Isis said quietly. "Would you do the same around Sugoroku's room? He's just down the hall."

Mariku just nodded and led Malik out of the room. There appeared to be no change in Sugoroku's health, though the sight of a couple of doctors in the room holding the man's medical records and speaking quietly with worried looks did cause Malik some alarm. The doctors left as soon as he and Mariku entered the room, giving him no chance to ask either of them what was going on. All thoughts of going after them to find out if new problems had developed fled when Mariku repeated the procedure that he'd done in Isis's room. That time, Malik really did fall. One minute he was leaning against Mariku, watching the shadows climb up the walls, and the next he was on the ground, with Mariku kneeling next to him, looking as tired as Malik felt. Only the warmth pulsing up his arm from the Rod kept him from passing out entirely.

"Did it work?" he mumbled. It seemed to take a lot of effort to talk.

"Yes. If anyone with magic enters either of these two rooms, Yami, Bakura, Seto and I will all be instantly aware," Mariku answered, drawing a hand across the back of his forehead. He glanced over at Malik and studied the hikari for a moment. Malik blinked back at him and wondered why he didn't pull away when Mariku leaned forward. Surprisingly, the yami gave him plenty of time to do so, but he didn't. Instead, he accepted the kiss, and even found the strength to kiss back. It actually felt _good_, he noticed distantly, tilting his head slightly when Mariku shifted closer. Then the Millennium Rod _fizzled_ and he jumped, jerking away when the warmth running up his hand turned painfully hot for a split second.

"W-what was that?" he stammered, staring down at the Rod. Somehow, in the past few hours, his world had totally turned upside down. Isis was in the hospital and he had started thinking that maybe Mariku wasn't so bad after all, and now he was_ willingly_ kissing the older boy? Malik hastily pulled his hand back and looked away, embarrassed and discomfited, and realized that he no longer felt quite as exhausted as he had.

Dark purple, almost black, eyes just stared at him, their owner more than a little stunned. It took Mariku a couple of minutes to recover from the shock enough to reach out and pull Malik to his feet. He silently led his hikari out of the room, inwardly relieved that Malik didn't seem interested in talking. What had just happened between them was... well, suffice to say that he hadn't been expecting it at all, and he definitely wasn't ready to deal with it. He needed to talk to Yami immediately... and just to be sure that Malik didn't notice anything, he was careful to keep the barriers he'd erected around their bond high.

**GMA**

Ryou was distantly aware of the world around him, though he kept his eyes closed and his breathing slow and steady. He could hear Bakura talking to someone, explaining what had happened at the house. Jou eventually responded, mentioning Yuugi's grandfather and Isis. Both of them sounded worried - well, as much as Bakura could be. Apparently there were three rogue Duel Monsters running around attacking people. Unconsciously, he tightened his grip on the Millennium Ring. It felt right to have the Ring back around his neck; he'd missed it, and he was glad that Yuugi and Malik had saved it from the river. He'd thrown it away in the heat of the moment and had regretted the impulsive action as soon as the Ring left his fingers.

Bakura must have noticed the movement, because when he spoke again, it was to Ryou. "I know you're awake, Rabbit."

"You're calling me 'Rabbit again," Ryou said, opening his eyes. There was no sign of Jou, but Bakura was sitting beside him on the couch, not close enough to touch, but within easy reach. He could feel the heat emanating from the body beside him and realized that it was very comforting. "Are Isis and Jii-chan alright?"

"They should be," Bakura said shortly. "The old man is sick, but the doctors believe he'll pull through."

"Thank god," he muttered to himself. It was bad enough that his own father had quite possibly lost his life during this whole mess. He didn't want the same thing to happen to Yuugi or Malik.

Sharp ruby brown eyes were watching every movement that he made, and Bakura must have caught the tiny shudder that went through him, because abruptly he pulled something out of his pocket and shoved it into Ryou's face. When he realized what it was, Ryou recoiled, falling back against the cushions as his face grew pale at the sight of that damned note. He hadn't even realized that it wasn't in his pocket anymore. Hesitantly, he looked up at Bakura, his eyes wide, uncertain of what to say. It had been his intention to show the note to Bakura, but he'd never gotten the chance.

"You believe your father is dead," said the older boy.

He flinched. "Yes," he whispered, biting his lip hard to stop it from quivering. Saying it out loud was so much harder than just thinking about it. Ryou blinked rapidly to keep tears from forming.

His yami sighed and didn't say anything else, just crumpled the note up into a ball. It disappeared in a flash of shadow magic, and Ryou was relieved to see it go. He glanced up at Bakura when the boy leaned back against the couch, but Bakura was staring straight ahead, his face set in a thoughtful frown. Cautiously, half-expecting to be pushed away, he inched closer and rested his weight against Bakura's arm. When the boy didn't react, he dared to lean his head against Bakura's shoulder and close his eyes. Not the most comfortable of positions, but he felt safer than he had in weeks.

"I thought you were angry with me," he mumbled into Bakura's shoulder. "I thought you_ hated_ me."

"You are my hikari," Bakura muttered, shifting uneasily. "There is a bond between us that makes it impossible for me to hate you."

"Is that the only reason that you came to help me?" Ryou asked, wondering why he was pushing the issue. Opening his eyes, he twisted, and realized that Bakura was staring down at him. For the briefest moment, there was a flash of _something_ in those captivating eyes, but it disappeared before Ryou could pin down what it was. He realized that he was holding his breath.

"No," Bakura said at last. "It's not the only reason. She was hurting you."

Ryou let his breath out in a rush, a little amazed. Was Bakura implying that he had come to save him just because he didn't want Ryou to be hurt? He didn't want to dare hope that was the reason, but he couldn't stop a tiny smile from forming on his lips as he closed his eyes and cuddled closer. Bakura was a bastard; there was no doubt about that. He was cold, snappish, had a hell of a temper, and it was likely very foolish for Ryou to trust him or even want to be around him. But he couldn't help it, and it wasn't just because of the bond. Huh, he mused, squirming until he could let his body sag against Bakura's in a reasonably comfortable way. Curiously, Bakura did nothing to shove him away, and might have even leaned a bit closer. When had_ that_ happened?

"I was glad," he whispered. "That you came to help me."

Bakura said nothing. But for once, that was okay. He didn't have to. Ryou understood.

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Please review!


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N:**Over 200 reviews! I forever remain shocked at the response to this story, which I seriously debated about even posting in the first place. I'm so glad to hear that there are so many people who are enjoying my work. Just for that, I put something special in this chapter that a lot of people asked about... Yami's first introduction to puppy eyes a la Yuugi. I hope that it's satisfying because it was damned fun to write, let me tell you. Happy New Year, guys. Enjoy the last chapter of 2011!

**Note:** I've seen Shizuka with blue eyes, amber eyes, brown eyes, and grey eyes. I finally went with amber, like Jou, but if that's wrong, I'm sorry. Blame the many sites with conflicting information!

* * *

It would take a lot of convincing before Yami would agree to leave his hikari's side for even a moment. Fortunately, Jou was prepared for battle. Yuugi had been recovering well from the effects of the spell, but the news about his grandfather had clearly been a bit of a setback. He was prone to spending long periods of the day staring off into space with a worried look on his face, and a few times, he had given Yami the oddest of looks that always made the older boy's blood run cold. There was something not quite right with his little partner, but he couldn't put his finger on what it was, and Yuugi didn't seem to be willing to talk about it. All of that made him reluctant to leave Yuugi for even a minute unless someone completely trustworthy was sitting with him instead... which was why he'd turned the prospect of a meeting involving everyone except for his sleeping hikari down flat.

"Yami, come on. You _know_ he's safe here," Jou said, completely exasperated. He kept his voice low, unwilling to wake Yuugi up, because then Yami really would refuse to leave the room. "I'm telling you, a letter has arrived that you really need to have a look at. You can leave him for five minutes. He won't even notice. I promise nothing will happen."

Yami scowled. "You know his fever spikes when I'm not around for extended periods of time, Jou, and I don't like leaving him alone."

"It won't be an extended period of time, and he won't be," the blonde said with a wink. He pushed the door open fully with a broad grin. "Ta-da!"

A petite, slender girl with a waterfall of auburn hair smiled at Yami. Her amber eyes sparkled happily as she bowed politely. "Good morning, Yami-san. It's nice to see you again. Nii-chan told me that your hikari is sick. I would be happy to sit with him while you and Nii-chan talk."

"Shizuka-chan!" Yami looked at her in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Okaa-san had to travel for her work," Shizuka explained, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I begged her to let me stay with Nii-chan and Seto-onii-san and finally, she agreed. I'll be here for a month."

That explained the excited glitter in Jou's eyes. There was nothing he enjoyed more than a visit from his baby sister, and even though he was no longer living with his father and had no communication with the man, their mother still didn't allow Shizuka to visit very often. Yami suspected that it was because the woman was (rightfully) afraid that someday Shizuka would decide not to go back to her. She adored Seto and had a close relationship with Mokuba, and even Yami had come to treat her as something of a little sister. Her presence in the mansion was always a welcome relief, if only because Jou and Seto became marginally easier to be around whenever she was there. He couldn't say no to her offer, and Jou knew it.

"You really wouldn't mind sitting with him?" he asked, unable to keep the worried hint out of his voice.

Shizuka's expression softened and she stepped forward, pulling him into a firm hug. Yami didn't bother to resist, though he fought the temptation to lay his head on her shoulder. "I don't mind a tall," she said softly into his ear. "We've been waiting for you to find your hikari for so long. I would do anything to help you protect him, Yami-san."

Touched, Yami pulled back and found a smile. "Then I'll leave you to him."

He stepped past the younger girl and twisted, watching as she walked over to the bed and sat down in the chair that he had recently vacated. She swung her long, auburn hair over one slender shoulder and placed her hands in her lap, watching over Yuugi's slumbering body with a peaceful expression. Jou reached out and took Yami's arm, forcefully putting the shorter boy out the door before Yami could protest. The two of them went down the stairs and into the kitchen, where Seto, Bakura, Ryou, Malik, and Mariku were sitting around the table. There was a piece of white paper in the middle, and everyone was staring at it with some level of distrust. Yami held back a sigh, wondering what in Ra's name had gone wrong this time.

"How's Yuugi?" Malik asked immediately. Ryou's head shot up and he looked intently at Yami, waiting for the response with baited breath.

"He's doing well," Yami replied, sitting down beside Bakura. He accepted the plate of food shoved in front of him reluctantly, knowing that Jou would refuse to let him go back upstairs until he had polished it off. The blond could be a real mother hen sometimes, though he would deny that until he was blue in the face. "The spell is gone and he's almost back to normal, though he still has a low fever. You two can visit him later if you'd like."

Ryou nodded. "Please."

"Here." Without waiting for Yami to ask, Seto picked up the letter by the corner, wearing a faintly disgusted expression. His fingers burned with shadow magic, meaning that he didn't have to actually touch the paper; the magic provided a thin barrier that kept anything that might have been dangerous on the letter from getting onto his skin. Smoothly, he flipped it across the table, where it landed in such a position that Yami was able to read it without touching it.

'_Pharaoh, I have information regarding Pegasus. Meet me at the marina at sundown. Bring _all _of your friends. I won't tell you anything unless all of you are here._'

The boy frowned, suspicion lighting his crimson eyes. He knew better than to touch the paper, but he was tempted to rip it into shreds. "We don't know who it's from?"

"I found it outside when Malik and I got home last night," said Mariku. "It must have had a spell on it, because as soon as it was on the table, I forgot about it, and no one else noticed it until Seto came downstairs." He sounded offended. "The rest of us couldn't even tell it existed until he opened it."

Yami considered this silently as he ate, barely tasting the food. That had to be powerful magic if it could affect two yamis, meaning that this could easily be a trap. Perhaps it had been sent by one of those duel monsters, or even Pegasus himself. And yet... if there was a chance that they could get informationabout Pegasus that would give them even the slightest bit of leverage, was it worth the risk? He could instantly see why the others had been having trouble making a decision, and not for the first time, he felt the burden of being the reincarnation of a Pharaoh. Everyone looked to him to solve their problems, and sometimes that was easier said than done.

"What do you think?" he said at last, speaking to the table at large.

No one said anything for a long moment. Seto was frowning deeply, his blue eyes icier than Yami had seen them in a long time. No doubt he was peeved by everything that Pegasus had done, and frustrated that there was nothing he could do to put a stop to it. Jou poked listlessly at the food he'd gotten for himself, and that in itself was a concern: Yami couldn't remember the last time Jou hadn't been interested in food. Bakura just scowled, a dangerous glint in his eyes: he was annoyed. So was Mariku. Their patience, never particularly high to begin with, was fast reaching the point of no return. Ryou and Malik exchanged measured glances, but neither one of them spoke, seemingly waiting for someone else to. And finally, someone did.

"I think we should go." Bakura's voice was cold, falling like cold raindrops through the silence of the table. "If there is a chance that we can get more information, then it's worth a shot. If not..." He smirked, and his brownish red eyes glittered, clearly relishing the idea of a fight. "Then we'll have the opportunity to get rid of at least one or two pests."

Ryou shivered a little. "But isn't it dangerous?" he asked, sounding terribly young. "What if it's a trap?"

"It probably is," said Mariku, casting another disdainful glance at the letter. His hands twined together, and Yami realized that he was playing with a knife. "But we'll never get anywhere if we don't take a risk or two."

"You do realize that the letter said for Yami to bring_ all_ of his friends?" Seto inquired, rubbing his head as though it was paining him. "That includes your hikaris."

Both of them froze. Yami watched with interest as Mariku scowled, his lower lip pushing out into what would have been called a pout on anyone else, and threw a possessive arm around Malik's shoulders. Surprisingly, Malik didn't push him away, though he did slap Mariku's hand when the yami tried to get a bit grabby. Bakura had gone still and cold, his eyes like two blazing infernos. Ryou leaned closer to him, seemingly without thinking about it, and Bakura actually allowed it. He caught Yami watching and shot him a dark look that didn't faze the other boy in the slightest. Clearly, some things had changed while he'd been preoccupied with Yuugi.

"We'll be alright," Jou piped up, finally shoving the plate of food away. He didn't protest when Yami did the same. "Bakura and Mariku and Yami will be there – that's all that matters. You guys can protect your hikaris."

"What makes you think that you_ or_ the hikaris will be coming? We haven't decided that yet," Seto snapped before anyone else had the chance to respond. He'd straightened up and was frowning intently at his lover. "It will be too dangerous, Jou. You four will be better off here in the mansion."

"It's not something_ you_ get to decide at all. The letter specifically said all of us," Jou retorted, amber eyes determined. "Look, if that's what it takes for us to have a way to take down that snake in the grass, then I think I speak for all of us when I say that it's worth the chance. Pegasus has been holding the cards for way too long, and it's time we had the advantage." His hands clenched into loose fists. He'd never quite forgotten what Pegasus had done to Shizuka and Mokuba by having the two of them kidnapped. It bothered him still, not having been able to take any sort of revenge. Sometimes he still dreamed about the terrified look in Shizuka's eyes when she'd finally been rescued. The experience had changed her in subtle ways, and although she still retained her polite and quiet exterior, she wasn't the naive, innocent, fun-loving girl she'd been before. "You can't _make_ me stay here, Seto. None of you can. Don't even try."

Seto scowled, and it was clear from the look on his face that he would like to do just that, but Jou had a point. The letter had been quite specific in stating that all of them had to come. Yami didn't like the thought of putting his hikari in danger, either. What'd he said was true: Yuugi was recuperating well, but he was still weak, not even up to visiting his grandfather in the hospital. It didn't seem right to drag his little one out of bed for something like this. But if it meant having even the slightest chance to take Pegasus down... He sighed, and Jou sat back with a smug, satisfied smile on his face, knowing that Yami had given in. And when Yami gave in, that generally meant Seto wouldn't be long in doing the same. Sure enough, the brunette rolled his eyes and nodded in agreement.

"But there will be rules," he said sternly, his voice booking no arguments.

Jou waved a lazy hand. "Yeah, yeah," he said as one of Seto's maids entered the kitchen.

"Kaiba-sama, Tenno-sama has a visitor," the young woman said with a polite bow. "She says that she is one of his friends from school. A Mazaki Anzu-san?"

Yami fought the urge to groan as Bakura smirked at him, clearly taking a little too much pleasure out of his dismay. "Did she say what she wanted?" he asked wearily.

"No, Tenno-sama. Just that she wants to see you."

It would have been easy to send Anzu away without seeing her, and he might have done just that had he not caught both Ryou and Malik eyeing him curiously. Their presence reminded him of how sweet his own little hikari had been when dealing with Anzu's bento, and just like that, he found he couldn't risk sending Anzu away just in case it got Yuugi upset. By Ra, he was becoming whipped already! The realization was almost enough to make him knock his head against the table until he passed out, because at least then he wouldn't have to be the one to deal with her. Reluctantly, he pushed himself up, nearly stumbling from sheer weariness, and turned to face the maid.

"I will see her," he mumbled.

She nodded and led him out of the room. Yami straightened his shoulders and followed her down to the front hall. He paused a split second before entering to adjust his mask, making sure that nothing showed except the cocky, confident senior. Anzu had never been privy to the real him and he had no intention of showing her something so private anytime soon. Truly, he wished that she would forget about him, or at least let go of the idea that he would ever be interested in her. Even if it weren't for the fact that he had a hikari, he still didn't think that he would have liked her in that way. The two of them didn't click, and having experienced what heaven was like when he held Yuugi in his arms for even a brief period of time made him that much more certain that Anzu was not the one his heart cried out for.

"Yami-san!" Anzu straightened, her blue eyes lighting up at the sight of him. He blinked, surprised to see her out of her school uniform. She was clad in a simple green skirt that was paired with a white blouse. It made her look good, but wasn't overly revealing or tight, and in spite of him, his opinion of her went up a few notches. They might have become good friends if she could forget her crush.

"Anzu-san," he greeted, stopping a short distance away from her.

A soft blush rose in her cheeks, and she looked suddenly uncomfortable. "I... You haven't been in school for the past few days. None of you have. One of the teachers asked me to bring you your homework," she said shyly, reaching down for a large bag that was sitting at her feet. Yami took it from her silently, appreciating the gesture even though he knew that he likely wouldn't touch the work inside. Bakura would just scoff and ignore his until Yami tossed it away, and Mariku would likely set his work on fire, but it was nice of her all the same. That just made him feel worse.

"We've had an unexpected family matter to deal with," he told her, realizing that she had been waiting for an explanation.

"Oh? I didn't realize you, Takahashi, and Yamada were related," Anzu remarked.

"We're not," Yami said quickly. Thank Ra for that. It was difficult enough to put up with the two of them without being related to them. Sometimes it was bad enough that Seto was his cousin! "Just... you know. Moral support."

"I see." Her cheeks darkened, and it wasn't hard to tell that she was thinking that she wanted to be his source of support. Yami instinctively held the bag up between them, glad that it was there to act as a barrier. "Well, I'll go then. I'm glad that you're alright and not sick or anything like that."

"It was kind of you to stop by," he said hesitantly. "I... appreciate it. Thank you."

Her eyes lit up and she smiled. Yami stared at her in surprise, realizing for the first time that Anzu was actually a fairly attractive girl. She had pale skin that set off her chestnut hair and vivid blue eyes, and when she smiled, she was nothing short of beautiful. It was truly unfortunate that all of her beauty was wasted on him, and he was only reminded of that fact when both of them heard a low groan. Two heads snapped around and watched in surprise as Shizuka stepped into the room with an arm around Yuugi's shoulders, bracing the boy's weight. Shizuka was frowning, her face creased in concentration as she helped him to take another step.

"Yuugi-kun!" Anzu exclaimed, looking startled. "I didn't realize..." She glanced back at Yami, curiosity blooming in her face, and he fought back a groan. "You look ill."

"Anzu-chan?" Yuugi looked up dazedly, his violet eyes unfocused. "Yami..." His voice trailed off as he sagged against Shizuka. Yami snapped out of his shock and practically leapt to his hikari's side, taking the younger boy into his arms. Shizuka took the bag, allowing him to fully support Yuugi. The younger boy was dressed in a shirt that must have belonged to Seto, for it was way too long on him, and a pair of loose pants. In spite of that little clothing, his aibou was sweating and his skin was hot.

"Damn," he swore softly, realizing that he'd been separated from Yuugi longer than he'd intended. The boy's fever had risen again. Yuugi didn't have a high resistance to magic, and his body's depleted resources were depending on Yami's strength to keep him going as he recovered from the effort it had taken to expel the magic. Unfortunately, their bond wasn't developed enough yet to support him without the addition of physical touch. "Anzu-san, I'm going to have to go. Thank you again for bringing our work over."

"You're welcome," said Anzu, clearly puzzled. Shizuka set the bag down on the counter and walked over, intending to show Anzu to the door. As soon as he was certain that the two girls were distracted, Yami hefted his hikari's light weight and carried the boy back upstairs. He was relieved to note that one of the maids had already changed the sheets on his bed, and he was able to place Yuugi down on fresh, cool sheets. The younger boy moaned faintly and grabbed for Yami's shirt, clutching him close. Yami smiled, pleased, and sat down on the bed, allowing Yuugi to curl into his body.

"Yami?" Violet eyes fluttered, and Yami started.

"Yes, Aibou?" he replied, looking down at the younger boy with some surprise. He'd thought that Yuugi had fallen asleep, as the brief journey downstairs appeared to have sapped most of his strength, but apparently his hikari was still conscious after all.

"What's wrong?" Yuugi asked, sounding sleepy. He twisted just enough so that he could peer up at Yami through half-lidded eyes. "I can feel it... Something's not right. You're troubled. What happened?"

Yami softened as he cupped his partner's cheek, running his fingers over the smooth, pale skin. It was a puzzling sensation, to have someone be concerned about him just because they cared, and not because they wanted something from him. He couldn't remember the last time anyone had looked at him with such genuine, unguarded worry. Somehow, even though he and Yuugi hadn't known each other for very long, this boy had become terribly precious to him. How had he ever lived without his light at his side? How could he have ever doubted that life would be better with his hikari? The thought of losing him now was unthinkable, and he was tempted to lie, but he knew that however much he wanted to protect Yuugi, he couldn't do that. They were partners, and his little one deserved nothing but the truth.

"We received a letter from someone who wants us to meet with him. He says that he has information about Pegasus. It may be a trap," he answered finally.

Yuugi frowned slightly. "Do you know who it was from?"

"No. We're supposed to meet him tonight, and he wants all of us to come."

Understanding filled Yuugi's face and he sighed, dropping his head back down onto Yami's chest. Silently, the older boy began stroking his hair, gently running his fingers through it. Their bond hadn't remained as open as it had been in their soul rooms – it would take time and intimacy for that to happen on a permanent basis – but it was much stronger than it had been before. Even now, he could feel a faint, vague imprint of Yuugi's emotions if he really focused, and several times, stronger emotions – such as the fear he'd felt when he'd heard about Sugoroku – had slipped through and washed over him. Right now... Yami closed his eyes and concentrated on that warm, light spot in his soul. Yuugi was feeling content. He smiled slightly, pleased that the two of them were finally able to relax around each other.

"I want to go."

Damn. Yami tried not to scowl. He'd known _that_ was coming. Yuugi was never one to turn away from a puzzle, and he seemed to be regarding the situation with Pegasus as a game they needed to win at. "It might be dangerous," he warned lamely. Even though he'd already given in to Jou, and he knew how important it was that Yuugi come along, every part of him still cried out against putting his hikari in danger.

One slender shoulder rose and fell in a shrug, and then Yuugi yawned, muffling it with his hand. "Maybe if we take down Pegasus, the spell will be removed from Jii-chan, and he'll get better," he said hesitantly.

"You don't know that for certain. It's possible that the spell has already done too much damage," Yami pointed out as gently as possible. He didn't want Yuugi to risk his life on the off chance that he might be able to save his grandfather. Ryou had already been lured into that trap.

"Yami, I _have_ to go. We all do. You know that." Yuugi turned, and suddenly, Yami found himself staring into two enormous violet eyes that shimmered with the light. He stared, captivated, only just vaguely realizing that Yuugi was still talking. "Besides, you said that it's not safe for me to be away from you yet, so that means if you go, I need to go. It won't be dangerous if you're there to protect me, right?" Those eyes blinked, just once, and Yami couldn't imagine doing anything but agreeing to what the owner of those eyes wanted.

Still, it took him a minute to catch up with the fact that Yuugi was waiting for a response. "No," he managed.

"So I can go?"

"... Yes...?"

"Great!" With a giggle, Yuugi looked away, and Yami regained the ability to think. He blinked for a moment, replaying the last few seconds in his mind.

"Hey! You little! How did you...?"

Yuugi just laughed, looking extremely pleased with himself. "What? You thought that I've gone my whole life without knowing how to get my way?" he asked, deeply amused.

Yami scowled, knowing that he'd just been taken in. "I'll be more aware next time," he promised.

The hikari just smirked and lay back down, resting his head on the bed. He slipped off into sleep quickly, wanting to rest and conserve his energy for the meeting that would happen that night. Yami sighed and rubbed his forehead, realizing that he'd allowed himself to get conned into thinking that Yuugi was as innocent and sweet as his physical appearance would have indicated. Jou had used what he called the "puppy eyes" on Seto more than once. It had always been hilarious to watch, and he thanked Ra that Seto had not been around to watch _him_ succumb to the same thing. Obviously, he would have to be more careful in the future. Briefly, he wondered if Ryou and Malik could do the same thing with their eyes, and contemplated warning Bakura and Mariku. Almost immediately, he decided not to. The thought of watching Bakura trying to say no to the puppy eyes was too priceless to resist.

**GMA**

As the door to the Kaiba mansion closed behind her, Mazaki Anzu took a deep breath and let it out in a slow, miserable sigh. "What's wrong with me?" she asked herself quietly, slinging her purse over one slender shoulder. Shaking her head, she started the short walk down the driveway, wondering why she turned into such a tongue-tied fool around Tenno Yami. From the instant that she'd met the guy, it was like her ability to speak or do anything relatively coherent disappeared, leaving her looking like a silly schoolgirl. To say that was not the impression she wanted to give to Yami was a vast understatement.

Anzu was not an idiot; she knew that Yami wasn't really interested in her in_ that_ way. He'd made that more clear. Even though she'd never gotten courage to ask him out on a date, he was uncomfortable and disinterested enough in her presence to tell her that much. But that didn't mean she was willing to give up without a fight. She just wanted to be close to him, even if it was merely as a friend. The problem was that he made her so _nervous_ that all she could do was blush and stammer. Yami was cool, confident, and self-assured, and she figured that he respected those qualities in other people. Kaiba Seto, Takahashi Bakura, and Yamada Mariku were all like that, even if they were also crazy, and they were Yami's best friends.

"Mou, I don't know what to do anymore," she muttered, tucking a few strands of chestnut hair behind one ear. No guy had ever made her feel like this way before. Actually, Anzu had always been admired by her friends for never taking any crap and for being able to stand up to even the hottest of guys. Until Tenno Yami walked onto the scene. Her friendships were actually improving now that people saw she was actually human, but her reputation had plummeted.

The young girl sighed and nodded a thank you to the guard that opened the gate door for her. She stepped through and turned in the direction of her home, her thoughts turning to Yuugi. Now there was someone that she never would have expected to be with Yami. Anzu and Yuugi had been close friends in elementary school, but as friends sometimes do, they had ended up drifting apart, and she hadn't thought about him in years. Seeing him again, especially in the company of Yami, had been a shock. Yuugi was a total sweetheart, and she well remembered that the boy had a core of stubborn steel behind that cute appearance, but she hadn't expected him to be someone that would want to hang around Yami... or vice versa. How had he done it?

"Maybe I'm too late..." she whispered with a bitter smile, recalling the way that Yami had practically leapt to the younger boy's side. It hadn't been her imagination that Yuugi had reached out to Yami, either. She tilted her head to the side and sighed. "Maybe there's a reason that Yami's not interested in me!"

"Excuse me."

"Eh?" Jumping, Anzu spun around in surprise, saved from falling only by her natural grace. She stared at the man who had approached without her notice, silently taking in the white robes, white turban, and the pupil-less, flat blue eyes. A peculiar feeling shivered up her spine and she stiffened. "Ah... Yes?"

"You know Tenno Atemu, am I correct?" he asked.

"I... I go to the school with him," Anzu said, taking an unconscious step backwards. It was weird to hear someone referring to Yami as "Atemu". He'd made it clear from day one that he didn't like the name, and not even the teachers used it. She narrowed her eyes slightly. "Why?"

"I need you to come with me." A tanned hand rose, bearing with it a slender Key made of gold. Anzu jerked back seconds before it would have touched her skin and turned, intending to run. The man behind her surged forward, brushing the key against her thigh, and she froze, numbness creeping up her legs and blackness darkening her vision. Her last thought was of Yami.

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Please review!


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N:** Thanks so much for the reviews, everyone. I'm glad to see that a lot of people were happy that I introduced Shizuka into the story – she's one of those YGO characters that you never get to see much of. Now, I know I knocked everyone for a loop when Anzu got kidnapped, and you guys seemed to be thinking that she was going to need Yami to step in and save her again... Not so much. In the YGO fandom, it's damned hard to be original, but I'm hoping this chapter might just take us there after all. I've been _dying_ to post this all week. Enjoy!

**Important Note:** On Monday, I start work full-time. I know, this announcement thrills none of us, believe me. I'm going to do my absolute best to make sure I don't fall behind on updates, but consider this your second (and final) warning.

* * *

The night air was cold, colder than he had anticipated, with a wind that seemed to cut straight through the heavy sweater he was wearing. Yuugi suppressed a shiver and edged closer to Ryou for warmth. His friend's free arm absently came up around his shoulder, tucking Yuugi more securely around Ryou's side. Ryou, at least, was dressed in a heavy coat borrowed from Jou that was a few sizes too large, meaning that he wasn't nearly as chilled as Yuugi or Malik, who had also curled up against him. Across from the three hikaris, Mariku sat back with a pout, obviously wishing that his hikari would have chosen to snuggle up beside him instead of in between Ryou and Jou. Malik just ignored him, waiting, as the rest of them were, for Bakura and Yami to return. Beside Mariku, Seto's eyes moved slowly over the shadows, searching for any possible signs of danger.

It reminded Yuugi of one of the first times he'd seen Yami, Bakura, Mariku, and Seto at night, when he'd been wandering through the park and he'd come across them, and Bakura had tackled him and nearly given him a concussion when he'd tried to run away. He smiled a little to himself, wondering if he would have kept on running if he'd known then what he knew now. The six of them were waiting at the entrance to the marina, which had technically closed to the public a few hours ago. All of the lights were off, and there didn't seem to be anyone around. But that hadn't stopped Bakura and Yami, both of whom appeared to possess an alarming amount of skill when it came to climbing fences that were designed to keep people out. Bakura in particular had scaled the fence like he was born for it. Then again, considering his previous life, maybe he had been.

"Will they come back soon?" Ryou asked suddenly, breaking the silence that had fallen over them. He was nervous being there out in the open without Bakura, though he'd never admit it. His skin was still speckled with the bruises of Samira's last visit, and although Bakura had sent her to the Shadow Realm, he remained on edge.

"It won't be much longer," Mariku replied, sounding unusually kind in his answer. His head snapped around, searching the shadows to the left of them, scanning the scenery for the slightest hint of danger. There was a knife in his right hand, and he continually drew the blade along his left thumb to test the sharpness. He had yet to draw blood, but it was obvious that he was eager to. "Relax."

Easier said than done for all of them. Even Jou appeared to be nervous, though he was clearly trying to pretend that he was completely at ease with the situation. But the truth was, none of them had the best grasp on magic, and they would be vulnerable if something happened. Especially Yuugi, who still wasn't feeling quite up to speed. That time, he couldn't stop the shiver that crept over his skin. It had sounded like a fun adventure when he'd been lying in bed with Yami, safe and warm in the protection of the Kaiba mansion. Now? Not so much.

Something creaked. Mariku was on his feet in an instant. Seto was slower to rise, his blue eyes focused on the gate. In spite of their fast responses, neither of them seemed overly concerned, and it was clear why a moment later when Yami pushed the door open and ambled through like breaking and entering was something he did every day. "An easy entrance awaits."

"How did you do that?" Yuugi asked, glancing past him into the marina. It was still dark, but somehow, it no longer appeared to be as threatening. "Where's Bakura?"

"Making sure that no one else is inside. We knocked out the couple of security guards, and I was able to turn the alarm system off," Yami explained, wrapping an arm around his hikari's waist and pulling him to his feet. "The place is otherwise deserted. We shouldn't have any trouble."

"Not of the normal kind at least, you mean," Seto said wryly, leading the group into the marina. Yami and Bakura had purposely left the lights off to avoid drawing extra attention to their presence. Although he wasn't a yami, he didn't mind the dark, and felt more at home in it than Jou did. He found the correct path that would lead down to the docks with no problems. His quiet voice carried back to Yami as he stepped onto the concrete. "Have you felt anything?"

"Nothing recent," Yami reassured him. He walked a half-step behind Ryou, who was following right behind Seto and Jou. Malik and Mariku were bringing up the rear. The seven of them fell into a heavy silence after that as they made their way down the path and onto the wooden docks that would take them out to where the ships were tied. Even though the note hadn't specified exactly where they were supposed to go, Seto could sense that they were headed in the right direction. The subtle hint of a spell had been woven through the air, pulling them down towards the ocean.

Bakura met them about two minutes before they would've reached the end of the dock, appearing silently out of the shadows like he was a part of them. Yuugi and Jou both jumped at his sudden appearance, but Ryou just looked relieved and moved quickly to his partner's side. Ignoring him, Bakura glanced at Yami and tilted his head down. Knowing that it meant that Bakura hadn't encountered anything unusual, Yami gestured for them to keep moving. The only sound that broke the silence was the soft lapping of the waves against the dock as they waited for the sun to finish going down. Yami checked his watch and then nodded, catching Seto's eye meaningfully. With a brief nod, the brunette tensed, ready for a battle.

Just as the last rays of the sun stretched across the horizon, there was a muffled thump from one of the boats above them, and then a slender, solitary figure appeared, making its way off of one of the larger boats. He or she hit the ground and turned in their direction. All of them tensed, but no one moved, though Seto was ready to cast a spell at the slightest sign of a threat. As the figure drew closer, it was eventually revealed to be a girl... a very familiar girl. Yami's jaw dropped in amazement as Mazaki Anzu calmly walked up the dock and stopped about five feet away from them. She was wearing a long, sleeveless white dress that flowed dramatically around her ankles, paired with flat gold sandals. A simple necklace made of woven gold had been fixed around her throat, and a white lotus flower had been tucked behind her right ear. A smile graced her lips as she tucked her hands behind her back and bowed.

"Hello, Yami-san," she greeted politely.

"A-Anzu-san?" he stammered, for once in his life completely and utterly shocked. His first thought was that her mind had been taken over, but her crystal blue eyes looked surprisingly lucid, and she possessed an unnatural grace that a possessed person wouldn't be able to achieve. "What...?"

"We've been waiting for you," she said without bothering to answer the question, looking the small group over as she straightened. Her eyes lingered on Yuugi and Yami, causing Yuugi to press closer to his partner. Anzu was somewhat different than he remembered. There was a colder, more confident glitter in her normally warm eyes. "Please, follow me, and all of your questions will be answered."

Anzu didn't wait for them to agree or disagree. She pivoted on her heel and started walking back in the direction that she had come from with the air of someone who really didn't care whether she was being listened to or not. Yami's jaw tightened and he frowned, his body tense. It was clear that he didn't like the thought of just following her into a possible trap, but he wanted to know what was going on. Seeing that his yami was torn, Yuugi made the choice for him. He took a few steps forward, his eyes on the tall, slender form dancing down the docks ahead of them. He knew that they could trust Anzu; she might have changed a lot, but she was still his friend, and she cared a lot about Yami. Yuugi truly believe that there was nothing she would do to put Yami in danger.

Within a handful of steps, Yami and the others caught up to him. All of them remained on alert as Anzu led them nearly to the end of the dock and then halted, gazing towards a massive white boat. Dark, curvy lettering on the side proclaimed the name to be "Cynthia". She glanced at them pointedly and then walked up the gangplank without the slightest bit of hesitation. Seto and Bakura went up first, then Jou, Yami, Yuugi, Ryou, Malik, and finally Mariku at the last. The boat appeared to be deserted at first, but then Anzu raised her hands and clapped them together sharply, looking a little like an Egyptian Queen who was ordering her peasants around. Lights flashed on and brought all of the deck into full view.

There was a man kneeling on the deck, his hands tied tightly behind his back and his ankles bound together. He had dirty blond hair that was mostly covered by a bandanna that looked like the flag of the United States. Sunglasses covered his eyes, but at their approach, he lifted his head and looked in their direction, revealing the broken nose and badly swelling cheek. His clothing was mussed and had a few spots of blood on it. When he spotted them, he growled and showed his teeth. "Little fuckers! I oughta tie you bastards up and shove y'all overboard!" he yelled, thrashing frantically in his bonds. "How dare ya do this to Bandit Keith!"

"Shut up, Keith," Anzu said flatly, giving him a disinterested look. "Or we might have to put you overboard."

Bandit Keith glared at her, but he seemed to realize that her threat was not an idle one, and instead he went back to sulking and fighting with the ropes that had tied his hands at the small of his back. Anzu rolled her eyes and, shaking her head, motioned for the eight of them to follow her inside and down below the deck. Yuugi looked around with awe as they walked, wondering who owned the boat. Not only was it enormous, the large room that they had just entered appeared to have gold-plated walls and a solid marble floor. Silently, Anzu stopped and pointed to the couches, indicating that they were to have a seat.

"What's going on, Anzu-chan?" Surprisingly, it was Yuugi who asked the question. In retrospect, it was probably a good thing that he did, because Yami appeared to be too stunned, and Bakura and Mariku probably would've gotten a little more hands-on. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm bait," Anzu replied. There was a bitter smile playing about her lips. "Please sit down, Yuugi-kun. I assure you, everything will be explained in the next few minutes."

Just as she finished speaking, the door on the opposite side of the room opened. Yuugi didn't recognize either of the people who walked in, but Yami did. The older boy tensed and hissed, "Shadi," under his breath at the same time that Mariku sat up straight, looking surprised.

"Aniki!" he exclaimed, looking at the taller of the two men.

"Good evening, Mariku. I hope you're keeping yourself out of trouble," said the man. He was tall, with the same caramel-colored skin as Mariku, and mostly bald, with only a low ponytail of dark hair at the nape of his neck. His eyes were a piercing shade of dark gray that seemed to see everything at once. "Although considering that you're here, I doubt that's true."

"Wait... Did_ you_ write that letter?" Mariku said, looking shocked.

"No. Bandit Keith wrote that letter," his brother answered patiently. "Sit down, little brother. As Mazaki said, everything is going to be explained to you."

Mariku frowned but did as his brother had said. He pulled Malik down into his lap. The hikari struggled for only a moment before giving in. Bakura and Ryou sat down next to them on the couch, while Seto and Jou occupied a chair. Yuugi sat down on a chair, glad for the chance to rest, and Yami stood just beside him, his narrowed crimson eyes never leaving the other man who had stepped into the room. Shadi, for his part, had his strange, flat blue eyes fixed on the reincarnated Pharaoh, but every once in a while, his empty gaze would move over to the hikari Yuugi fought the urge to shiver; he didn't like the way he felt when Shadi looked at him.

"Now, what's going on?" Jou said the instant everyone was settled. "Let's hear it, Rishid, and don't leave anything out."

"I already told you that Bandit Keith wrote the letter hoping to lure you out here under the orders of Pegasus. It was his intent to capture all of you and take you to his master," Rishid said, folding his arms. "We had to move quickly once we realized that you were going to accept the challenge. Shadi and I procured the help of Mazaki to lure Bandit Keith into a trap of our own. She acted as bait, and, believing that you had arrived, he fell for it and made his move too early. He's never been the most brilliant of Pegasus's henchmen." A small smirk played around his lips. "Then it was just a matter of waiting for you to arrive. We knew that you would. Why did you think that you didn't run into anyone other than a security guard or two? This is a marina with expensive boats and valuable things, after all."

Bakura's lips pressed together and he scowled, not liking the subtle implication that it hadn't been his skills that had enabled them to get into the marina with such ease. "If you're so damned sure of yourselves, why didn't you just come to the mansion and tell us this in the first place instead of making it into such a big production?"

"You were being watched," Rishid answered, raising an eyebrow. He didn't seem to be too disturbed by the cold tone of Bakura's voice. Then again, with Mariku for a younger brother, he was probably all too used to it. "Pegasus has people watching the mansion at all times. Most of you are also being followed. Even though we have ways of getting onto the grounds without being seen, it would have tipped Keith off if you hadn't left at the pre-arranged time. We needed to catch him so that we could gather information about Pegasus." He dropped his hands to his sides. "In a way, the note was true. You will receive information about your enemy. Just not the information that Bandit Keith had intended for you to get."

"I can believe all that, but Anzu-san, what are _you _doing here?" Yami said, looking across the room at the taller girl. She was standing in the corner with her arms folded, watching the scene in silence. "You look far too calm to have been brought into this against your will, and I can tell that you're not being controlled. How do you know Shadi and Rishid?"

Anzu exchanged a look with Rishid and then sighed. "Technically, I really am here because that asshole over there kidnapped me," she said, pointing to Shadi. "Apparently he's never heard of stopping to talk to someone for five minutes."

"I was told to collect you. I did as I was asked," Shadi said calmly.

"You used that fucking Key on me!" Anzu retorted, her blue eyes flashing wildly in the dim light. She pointed at him threateningly. "I swear by Ra, Shadi, come near with that damn thing again and I'm going to push you off of the ship. _After_ I put rocks in your turban and tie to your head!"

"Enough!" Rishid broke in, now rubbing his head like he had a bad headache. "Mazaki, I apologize for Shadi's rough treatment. When I asked him to get in touch with you and request your help in catching Keith, I never expected that he wouldn't stop to explain that he was another one of our associates. Though in retrospect, that was foolish on my part. Please continue so that we may get this over before dawn breaks?"

She pouted a little but did as he requested. "Anyway, I've never told anyone this, but Yami-san, I've been helping to watch over you for a long time. Rishid-san and Isis-san approached me a few years back and asked if I would help keep you safe. It's my job to make sure that Pegasus or any Duel Monsters that he might send don't get too close to you... and now, I suppose, to your hikari."

Yami's mouth fell open and for several moments, he didn't say anything, too shocked to respond. Yuugi glanced at him and then looked at Anzu warily. "What do you mean, it's your _job_?"

Sighing again, Anzu sat down on the closest chair and looked at Yuugi earnestly. "My family has always been close friends with the Tennos, but I didn't know Yami-san that well until they moved to the area a few years ago. We were never friends, but I guess you could say that I'm closer to him than anyone else outside of those three." She jerked her head towards Bakura, Mariku, and Seto. "A couple of years ago, I was approached by Isis-san not long after she spoke to Yami-san about the Millennium Items for the first time. She told me that she could sense the presence of an old Egyptian soul within me, and that, due to some visions she had received through the Millennium Tauk, she believed I had been one of the Pharaoh's court back in Ancient Egypt. As it turns out, only people who have that kind of soul can use any form of shadow magic. She said it was my duty to help protect the Pharaoh and his light." Anzu shrugged helplessly. "I couldn't say no to her, not if it meant helping Yami-san."

"Wait, so you've been hanging around driving the Pharaoh crazy all this time because_ Isis_ asked you to?" Bakura asked, smirking. It wasn't hard to tell what he was thinking. Isis must have had a death wish.

"Well, no." Anzu blushed a little and ducked her head. "I... I really do have a crush on you, Yami-san. I was supposed to stay close to you so that if Pegasus tried to attack you, I would be able to help. I thought that an easy way to do that would be if I was your girlfriend. I knew that you would someday have a hikari, but I didn't think..." She trailed off, looking uncomfortable, and refused to meet their eyes.

"I can't believe this," Yami said finally, staring at her. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"We asked her not to," said Rishid before Anzu could answer. "It was imperative that all of you be unaware of the people who were guarding you so that you didn't act differently and end up drawing suspicion to them. They were undercover guards, meant to draw Pegasus out into the open by making him think that you were easy targets."

"Wait." That was Seto. He held a hand up and narrowed his icy blue eyes. "What did you mean, _people_?"

Rishid gazed back at him steadily. "You heard what I said._ All_ of you had to be guarded, not just the Pharaoh, though Mazaki was assigned specifically to him. Every holder of the Millennium Items, both yami and hikari, needed to be kept out of Pegasus's grasp, and Isis thought it would be a good idea to protect you and your lover while we were at it so that you couldn't be used against the Pharaoh." He glanced at Yami. "Fortunately, reincarnated souls have a way of finding their way back to him."

"So just who is on this list?" Jou asked warily.

Anzu winced slightly and shifted, looking a little nervous. "Well... To name off a few people in general... Mutou Sugoroku. Kawai Shizuka. Kaiba Mokuba. Rebecca Hawkins. Bakura Amane. Otogi Ryuuji. Hiroto Honda. Mai Kujaku. Malik, you had Isis with you, and Mariku, you had Rishid-san."

Yuugi stiffened at the sound of his grandfather's name, but before he could say anything, Ryou choked and his head shot up. He hadn't even heard the last three names or noticed the way that Bakura had stiffened beside him. "What? But my sister is dead."

Something in Anzu's blue eyes softened slightly. "Your sister loved you more than anything in the world, Ryou-san. She'll do anything to protect you. She never left you."

"You brought _my _sister into this?" Unable to keep silent any longer, Jou shot to his feet before Ryou could ask any more questions. Only Seto's hand gripping his wrist prevented the blond from flying across the room at either Shadi or Rishid. "How dare you! Shizuka's not some... some pawn that you can play with. You had no right to bring her into this!"

"Kawai Shizuka has the soul of an Ancient Egyptian existing within her," Shadi said flatly, his voice allowing for no arguments. "In the court of the Pharaoh, she was an apprentice to the Healer. She swore eternal servitude to the Pharaoh, as did we all. That is not something that can be erased. Her soul was awoken for _your_ benefit and protection, Jounouchi Katsuya. Just like Kaiba Mokuba was awakened for the protection of Kaiba Seto."

"Is that why Pegasus kidnapped them?" Seto asked sharply. Yami shot a worried glance at his cousin. His reaction was too calm, and it would only be a matter of time before Seto exploded.

"No. It is as you thought. Pegasus was trying to use them to get to you. He truly believed that you were in possession of a Millennium Item," Rishid explained. "He had no idea of their status as guards. Kawai Shizuka and Kaiba Mokuba are both still young, so their power is not yet at full strength. That's why they were unable to escape from Pegasus without your help. But rest assured, had their souls not been awakened, they would have suffered a great deal more." His lip curled as an expression of distaste flashed across his face. "Pegasus and in particular the company he keeps are vile men who have enjoyed taking advantage of young children in the past."

The implication of that caused the blood to drain from Jou's face, and he swayed where he stood. Seto quickly guided his younger lover into a seated position beside him before the blond fell before he turned back to Rishid. "And just when did you plan to inform us of this?" he demanded, deeply annoyed that he hadn't sensed the power in those people before. Nearly every person that Anzu had named was someone he was around on a daily basis.

"When it was necessary," said Shadi. He suddenly found himself the recipient of numerous glares, but even that didn't seem to faze him in the slightest.

Bakura suddenly stood up and, without saying a word, spun on his heel and stormed out of the room. Ryou stared after him, hesitated briefly, and then went after him. Mariku was frowning at his brother, his eyes narrowed slightly in thought. Rishid glanced at him, but made no move to say or do anything. Malik was wholly unsurprised by the whole situation; he'd had a little time to get used to what Isis had done when she got into contact with the yamis in the first place, and quite frankly, he was rapidly reaching the point where nothing his sister was involved with when it came to their protection could shock him now. Yami just kept staring at Anzu, and Yuugi couldn't help sneaking small glances between his yami and the girl who had yet to look at either of them.

"I need some air," Jou muttered, jumping up suddenly. He fled the room without another word, the slight green tinge around his lips enough to make sure no one tried to stop him. Seto paused long enough to give Rishid and Shadi the kind of look that usually had men shaking in their seats before following after his pup.

"Why?" Mariku asked, breaking the silence once the two were gone. His brow furrowed. "I don't understand, Aniki. Why have you been hiding so many things from us? What's going on? What do you know about Pegasus?"

Rishid sighed. "There are things that even _we_ don't know, Mariku. I'm just trying to protect you in the only way I know how. Isis contacted me about three years ago. She had been having frequent visions due to the Millennium Tauk, and she was growing concerned about what kind of plans Pegasus might have for the Millennium Items. I knew that he'd been watching you, and I wanted to make sure that you had sufficient protection put into place. I know you can take care of yourself, but I _am_ still your brother."

"But why Shizuka-chan and Mokuba-kun?" Mariku demanded. "Why them? Of all the people... And Mai, too. Aniki, you know how Bakura feels about her."

"We've been over this," Rishid said patiently. "You all required protection, and although the Pharaoh does attract those who are reborn from old souls, there are only so many to choose from that are acceptably close to your group. Kawai-san, Kaiba-san, and Kujaku-san are among those that number the list, just like Mazaki."

At the mention of Anzu's name, Yami seemed to jolt out of whatever stupor he'd fallen into. Abruptly, his crimson eyes dark and furious, he spun and walked out of the room without looking back, slamming the door behind him. Anzu jerked, instinctively starting to her feet like she would have liked to have gone after him, and then stopped, biting her lip so hard that blood welled up around her teeth. She twisted and looked at Yuugi with pleading written all over her face. The younger boy sighed and reluctantly got up, knowing that it was in his best interests to go after his yami anyway. He wasn't sure how many more secrets and revelations he could take in one night.

Most of the ship was still dark, and for a moment, he had no idea where Yami had gone. It was growing even colder, and he shivered, wrapping his arms around his body loosely as he set out, heading for the upper deck. A faint feeling teased at the back of his mind, and, recognizing it as part of their bond, he followed it willingly to the opposite side of the boat from where they had come on deck. Yami was leaning against the railing, staring out towards the ocean. Yuugi walked over to him and followed his gaze, wondering what he was looking at. As far as the naked eye could see, there was just water in all directions.

"I don't really like the ocean," Yami said suddenly, starting his companion. In spite of his words, he didn't look away, keeping his gaze out to sea. "Every time I'm here, I keep remembering the desert. Even if that wasn't really my life, a part of me keeps thinking that so much water is unnatural." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, messing up the red-tipped curls. "I hate that. When something from my old life interferes with this one."

"Do you hate me, too, then?" Yuugi asked. Like Yami, he kept staring out at the ocean, but it was more because he was afraid of what Yami's answer would be than because of true interest. "Because technically, what binds us together is from Ancient Egypt... so..."

"I don't hate you, Yuugi," came the quiet reply. "I could never hate you. Never worry about that. You mean too much to me for that to ever be a concern."

Yuugi flushed, the pink color slowly filling his cheeks, and stepped closer to the railing. There was no denying that Yami's words had made his heart turn in a circle, but... "Yami, I..."

"I told you once that I didn't remember my past life," Yami went on like he hadn't spoken. "It's the truth. I'm not like Bakura. The Tomb Robber wasn't completely prepared to do the ceremony. He wasn't willing to give up on his memories and past life like I was, though his life in this time would be far easier if he had. I just get flashes, images sometimes, of what was. It's been worse since you solved the Puzzle and I was exposed to that magic." Finally, he turned away, his crimson gaze resting on Yuugi. It was impossible not to squirm under the intensity of that stare. "But I don't regret meeting you, Little One. You bring something to my life that I didn't even know I was missing. I'm glad that you're here with me."

"I'm glad I'm here, too," Yuugi whispered hesitantly, curling his fingers into the edge of his shirt and looking down. It was the truth, but... Old fears made it hard for him to accept whatever Yami might have been offering. A lot of people that he'd depended on in the past had either left him or died. He had been called cursed by those who were frightened of him. What if Yami left him? Or suffered the same fate? He didn't think he could bear being alone after knowing what it was like to be whole.

"Did you mean it?"

"What?" He looked up and blinked, startled to find Yami so close.

A hand reached out and touched his cheek, brushing gently against his skin. "When you said... in the soul room... you said you wanted to stay with me. Did you mean it?"

Violet eyes closed. He trembled, wanting so badly to lean into that touch. "I... I'm afraid." The words slipped out without his permission, and he blushed even darker, embarrassed by the sincerity behind them. When he would have turned away, Yami's grip tightened, preventing him from doing so.

"We'll be afraid together," the older boy said softly, leaning close enough to press their foreheads together.

The kiss was not entirely unexpected. Yuugi shivered as Yami pressed their mouths together, lips brushing gently, tentatively at first, before coming together more firmly. It was his first kiss and it went beyond everything he could have ever even tried to imagine. He kept his eyes shut, hardly daring to breathe as Yami drew back, and found himself looking into captivating crimson eyes when he found the strength to open them. His hand shook slightly as he lifted it to Yami's cheek, amazed at the feeling of the tanned skin beneath his pale fingers. The look in Yami's eyes was almost desperate, entirely wanting, and he could feel his whole body responding to it. Softly, he spoke, and the reincarnated Pharaoh breathed out and clutched his hikari to him.

"Yes, Yami. I want to stay with you."

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Please review!


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N:** I think it's safe to say that I threw everyone for a loop. I'm sorry, I'm still cackling madly over that. I so didn't want this story to end up being a cliché, and I'm pretty sure I've avoided that so far. My apologies to anyone who might have felt that that revelation came out of left field. I don't really plan my stories ahead of time, so I couldn't have even given you a hint because I didn't know it was going to happen, either. Now, I do give you a bit of a **warning** for this chapter... Bakura got a little carried away. Oh, that Bakura. Enjoy!

**Important Note:** Since I'm working now, updates may not always be on Friday. Occasionally they may be on Saturday instead, depending on how busy I am. As always, check my profile for updates, because I do post there regularly, and you will see information there if an update is late/cancelled for the week.

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Ryou chased his yami back out onto the deck. An upset Bakura had proved to be a very bad thing, but he wasn't sure what to do to calm Bakura down. Nervous, he hung back near the door, watching in dismay as Bakura strode over to the still-bound Bandit Keith. From the look of it, the man had been working on a way to escape the ropes that were so firmly tied around his wrists and ankles, but he hadn't been able to do more than rub his wrists raw before Bakura came up to him. Without saying a word, the white-haired boy drew his hand back and punched Keith across the face. The blond toppled over, landing on the deck of the ship with a loud yelp and several curses. Instantly, Bakura reached out, curling his fingers into the shirt that Keith was wearing and hauling the taller man up until their faces were only inches apart.

"Where is she?" he demanded in a low voice. His words were carried back to Ryou by the strong wind that had sprung up. He shivered at the dark, menacing tone, noticing that Keith's face had paled dramatically. "Where is Mai Kujaku? What do you know of her?"

"I dunno who yer talkin about," Keith retorted, glaring up into Bakura's eyes. Aside from the look on his face, he didn't seem to be overly affected by the yami's presence or temper. Which was stupid, really, but then again, Bandit Keith had never been known for being the most intelligent of people. "Let go of me, man. I can't help ya."

Bakura actually growled low in his throat, eyes flashing pure ruby for a moment. Seemingly from nowhere, he produced a knife, which he pressed against the smooth skin of Keith's cheek. A feral smile lit his face as he gently pressed the razor sharp edge to the soft skin, which split easily. Keith cried out and thrashed, struggling to get free as Bakura slowly and calmly drew the knife down his face. Blood ran freely down his cheek and dribbled onto his shirt as Bakura pulled the knife away and held it to the other side of his face.

"Where is Mai Kujaku?" he repeated, the smile never leaving.

"I told you, I don't - "

The knife pressed in again with cruel accuracy. Ryou's stomach rebelled and he gagged, his hand flying to his mouth in an effort to keep from throwing up. What truly sickened him wasn't the fact that Bakura had cut Keith, but the sadistic pleasure that he could see in the older boy's eyes. It made him feel lightheaded and sick at the same time. His legs finally gave out on him and he slipped silently to the floor, his eyes locked on the gruesome scene playing out before him. Keith was openly weeping from the pain, his head rolling back against his shoulders. Both cheeks sported identical gashes that were freely spilling blood. Bakura was looming over him with a cold, dispassionate gaze, seemingly enjoying Keith's pain. When he raised the knife for a third time, Keith snapped.

"Okay, okay, I'll tell you!" he cried, raising his bound hands as high as he could in a ploy for mercy. "I'll tell you. Just please, stop."

"Where. Is. She."

"Pegasus's castle," Keith said, shaking hard. His wild eyes tracked the progress of the knife as Bakura lightly, teasingly, drew it across his skin, threatening to cut at any moment. "He was tryin to get rid of your guards... Kujaku couldn't be killed so he asked me 'n' my crew to bring her in... She's been there all a-" His words stopped suddenly, descending into a wail of pure pain as Bakura thrust the knife deeply into his shoulder and then allowed him to drop to the ground. Keith curled up around the wounded limb, whimpering piteously. Bakura looked down at him with disgust.

"If she has been harmed, I will take it out of your ass," he said ominously. The words were not a threat, but a promise, and Keith cringed in reply as Bakura whirled, walking back towards Ryou. Without saying a word, the hikari looked up at his yami. He was shivering, though whether it was from the cold or what he had just witnessed, he wasn't sure. Bakura reached down, grabbed his wrist, and yanked him to his feet, pulling him back into the main part of the boat. Ryou went willingly on legs that didn't seem to want to work properly anymore.

"You... you..." he stammered, wondering if it was really safe to be blithely following around behind someone who could do that. "Would you... have really killed him, Bakura?"

Whether it was from Ryou's voice or the sound of his name, Bakura seemed to come back to reality with a start. He stopped walking so abruptly that Ryou nearly banged into him. When he turned, his gaze was distant, so that even though he was looking down at Ryou, he didn't appear to be seeing him. "Mai Kujaku is my cousin," he said coldly. "She was kidnapped exactly three years ago, and no word of her fate has been known in all this time."

Understanding rolled over Ryou in a rush that was almost dizzying. Bakura seemed to hate getting close to people, but if Mai was his cousin, then there must have _at least_ been a friendship between them. Maybe even a relationship of the brother-sister variety. His yami must have been worried when she'd disappeared. Probably he had even tried to search for her. And now he had found out that the whole reason Mai had been taken in the first place was because she had been guarding him. He tried to imagine spending three years without knowing what had happened to Amane, only to find out that she was in trouble for his sake, and couldn't. It would have been unbearable. Sympathy warred with the lingering fear and he threw caution to the wind when he leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Bakura's waist.

"I'm sorry," he whispered into Bakura's shoulder. The older boy was frozen against him, his arms slack by his sides. "I'm so sorry, Bakura, but thank you for not killing him." Because Bakura had stopped - for Ryou. He knew that as surely as he knew that somewhere inside, Bakura was dying. "I'll help you get her back. Kujaku-san, I mean. We'll all help you. You're not alone."

It took a moment before Bakura moved. His hands rose and rested briefly on Ryou's hips in what might have been the world's shortest hug before he none-too-gently pushed the hikari away. "Just make sure you keep the Millennium Ring on," he muttered, purposely not looking down into Ryou's wide brown eyes. "As long as you wear it, we could find you."

_Oh_. Something softened in Ryou's chest. A knot that he hadn't realized had been there since the day that Bakura had yelled at him up on the roof dissolved. Unconsciously, his hand went to the Ring, stroking the heated gold with a gentle motion. "I will. I'm sorry I ever took it off in the first place. I guess..." He paused and took a deep breath. "I guess I was looking for the best way to hurt you after you hurt me. I knew that you wanted power and that you needed the Millennium Ring to get it. I promise I won't take it off again, and I won't let anyone take it from me, either."

Bakura nodded without saying anything and continued walking. Ryou watched him go, feeling curiously content. Somehow, he felt like he understood Bakura a lot better. Everything about their relationship went unspoken. Actions seemed to mean a lot more than words. With that thought in mind, he darted forward and caught Bakura's arm just before his yami could disappear back inside. He swallowed nervously as Bakura turned to look down at him with a raised eyebrow, like he couldn't quite believe that his hikari had had the nerve to do something like that, and stepped closer. Almost imperceptibly, Bakura's body stiffened at the contact.

"You're not alone," Ryou whispered again. To prove it, he leaned up and brushed his lips against Bakura's. It was the first kiss he'd ever initiated in his life. There was a breathless pause before Bakura responded. Warm hands slipped into Ryou's hair, pulling him more firmly against the taller body. He shivered as Bakura kissed him harder and wound his arms around Bakura's neck, holding on for dear life.

A door opening and the sound of a strangled gasp made him jerk away. Or at least, he tried to. Bakura's right hand remained tangled in his hair, and his left hand was pressed against the small of Ryou's back, preventing him from going too far. Ryou blushed, the pink color staining his otherwise pale cheeks as he craned his head just far enough to see that an undeniably amused Mariku and a shocked Malik were staring at the two of them. Bakura just glared at the two intruders, clearly unimpressed by their presence, and made no move to release his entirely possessive grip, like he was holding onto something precious that he didn't want to share. Like a little kid, Ryou realized, and had to press his face against Bakura's chest to hide the laughter that wanted to escape.

"We just wanted to tell you that we can head back to the mansion now," said Mariku, moving past amused and onto smug. He smirked. "Unless the two of you need a bed immediately, in which case I'm sure we could oblige."

Ryou turned an impressive shade of red.

"Mariku!" Malik snapped.

"Fuck off, Mariku," Bakura growled at the same time.

"We'll see you later, Ryou," Malik said, glaring up at his yami. He grabbed Mariku's arm and forcibly pulled him down the hallway. "What is the _matter_ with you? Honestly, Mariku..."

"God..." Ryou muttered, leaning his burning face against Bakura's chest and shaking his head slowly. "I'm starting to wonder if it's a good thing or a bad thing that I can no longer remember what it's like to have a peaceful life."

Bakura snorted, and finally allowed his hands to drop, releasing Ryou. "Peace is overrated," he said with the faintest hint of a dangerous smirk. Ryou blinked up at him, suddenly realizing what Bakura must have been like as a Tomb Robber. As he watched his yami head back up onto the deck, he had new appreciation for the guards who'd had to deal with them... and a new curiosity about the future in which Bakura would be all his problem. Somehow, that was no longer as concerning as it used to be.

**GMA**

Jou didn't stop moving until he was off the ship and the docks entirely. It felt good to have solid dirt back under his feet. Like Yami, he didn't exactly enjoy being on a boat or near the ocean, though he'd often suffered through visits as a child because Shizuka adored the water. He grimaced at the thought of his sister, not wanting to think about the innocent child that she had been. Not when he had to confront her and demand to know what she thought she was doing, and why she'd been hiding something so important from him. Running a hand through slightly frizzy blond hair, he jogged up the path and scaled the fence, since it would've taken an extra three minutes to walk all the way over to where the gate was located. As he dropped down to the ground, he became aware of the person behind him.

"Figured you'd follow me," he mumbled, rising from his crouched position. Seto landed neatly beside him with a careless kind of grace that Jou would never even hope to be able to emulate. He watched, feeling a little envious, as Seto stood and turned to him. Piercing blue eyes grabbed and held onto his soul, making whatever else he had been about to say completely flee his mind. His mouth went dry and his lips parted slightly, barely allowing a gasp to escape before Seto seized the front of his shirt and dragged him into the kind of kiss that made his toes curl. By the time he was released a good minute later, he could barely remember why he'd been so angry - and judging by the smug look on his boyfriend's face, that had been the intention.

"Slow down, pup," Seto said then, his long fingers gently smoothing out the blond curls. "There's no need to speak to her when you're still angry. Yelling and causing a fight is not going to help anyone."

"I can't believe _you're _the one telling me that," Jou said, more than a little amused. Seto had always reacted differently when he was angry – well, unless it was Jou that he was angry at, since he could recall more than a few times before they had started dating when the brunette had clocked him one. But for the most part, when Seto was angry, he grew even colder and more frozen than before. His anger was icy to the point of burning, and a terrifying thing to behold. "Aren't you angry at Mokuba for having kept this from us?"

Seto gave him a smirk. "Of course. But then again, I'm not entirely surprised that he did, either. Nor am I shocked that Shizuka-chan didn't tell you. You're her older brother and you feel like it's_ your_ duty to protect _her_ from everything, not the other way around. If she had told you, you and I both know that you would have forbidden her to help."

He pouted. "Of course. Both of them are way too young to be caught up in this."

"Now that we can agree on," his lover replied. "I might not be surprised, but that doesn't mean I'm happy. We're going to be having a very long, detailed talk with those two as soon as you've calmed down enough to talk without yelling."

"And just how do you propose to – mmph!" Whatever else he had been about to say was cut off when Seto yanked him back into one of_ those_ kisses. The kind that he couldn't even begin to fight against, the kind where all thought fled his mind until there was only him and Seto and nothing else except the extremely talented set of lips and tongue that his lover possessed. Something that may have been a whimper escaped his throat when Seto pulled away, breathing raggedly. He curled his hands into Seto's silk shirt and clung to him, gasping, and could tell from the way their bodies were pressed together that Seto was similarly affected.

"I... I think I might need more convincing not to yell," he breathed out at last, amber eyes twinkling. "We had about a fifteen minute drive here, you know."

Icy blue eyes gleamed with interest. "What about your friends?"

"You can send another limo for them, right? I know you have more than one." Just to provide additional leverage, he purposely ground against Seto, shoving their hips together. There was a sharp hiss, and then a feral smile spread across Seto's face, matching the mischievous smirk on Jou's.

"Fortunately, I have several," was the only reply he gave. It was accompanied by a sexy smirk that nearly made Jou stumble in his haste to get to the limo.

**GMA**

Not long after Mariku and Malik walked in on them to say that Rishid and Shadi had left and the others were returning to the mansion, Yuugi and Yami were walking through the front doors of the Domino City Hospital. Yami hadn't been very receptive to the idea of Yuugi going to visit his grandfather, but Yuugi had been insistent, and eventually, he'd won. It didn't seem right to allow his only relative, the man who had taken him in and cared for him for so many years, to be alone in the hospital, particularly when no one was sure that he would ever leave. He needed to see his grandfather if only to be certain that the man was still alive, and no one was going to keep him away, not even a well-meaning yami. Once Yami became aware of the fact that Yuugi was going whether he went along or not, the matter was cleared up pretty quickly.

The hospital was bustling even though it was after dark. Visiting hours would last until 9:00PM, and since it was just after seven, no one approached the two of them as they made their way to the elevators and went up to the correct floor. Yuugi went to visit his grandfather alone, while Yami stopped to speak with Isis, who was going to be released the next morning. Though he was grateful for the privacy, part of him wished that Yami would have come along as he walked down the hall by himself. His heart was beating very quickly, and he couldn't help feeling nervous as he paused in front of his grandfather's door. The memory of Anzu saying Sugoroku's name, citing him as one of the guardians, made him wince. Was it really true?

"Jii-chan?" Hesitantly, he reached out and knocked on the door. It opened fully, allowing him to see into the room. His grandfather was still sleeping and didn't move as he walked inside and stepped closer to the bed. Yuugi slowly reached out and brushed a few strands of greying hair out of Sugoroku's weathered face. The urge to cry was getting stronger, and he had to swallow several times before he could speak. "Hi, Jii-chan. I came to see visit you. Well, I guess that's pretty obvious, since I'm here. I'm sorry I didn't come before. I wanted to, but I was sick. Don't worry about me, though. Yami is taking good care of me. You remember Yami, right? Though in light of what happened tonight, I suppose that's probably a pretty stupid question."

He paused and sat down on the chair that had been left next to the bed, studying the silent form. All those times that his grandfather had complained about feeling tired or weary after doing next to nothing... or made a comment about how his heart had skipped a beat or fluttered... why hadn't he pushed the man to go get things checked out? Sugoroku could be stubborn, but Yuugi was one of the few people in the world who could make Mutou Sugoroku do anything, though even he had to be careful when it came to picking his battles. This was one fight that he truly regretted not pushing.

"I've been staying with Jou and Seto," he went on, after the oppressive silence of the room became too much to bear. "They've both been quite kind to me. I really like it there. I haven't been home to check on the shop, but I'll do that tomorrow." Gingerly, he rubbed his forehead, wincing at the slight headache that had formed there. "Well, I'll try," he amended. "I'm not sure Yami will let me out of bed after what happened tonight. But I have to go to school, so..."

Yuugi paused again and chewed nervously on his lip, wishing that his grandfather was awake to respond. "Jii-chan... Shadi-san and Rishid-san said that you had been a guardian. That you were protecting us from Pegasus all of those years. Is that why you took me in? Did you know who I was?" he whispered, eyes searching the man's silent form almost desperately. There were so many questions spinning through his head, and yet no way to get answers. "Is that why you didn't protest when I went upstairs and left you alone with Tsuki? Did she attack you because you were trying to protect me? Did you know what she could do to you?"

Finally, the tears came, sliding silently down his cheeks. Yuugi clenched his teeth, refusing to let even the slightest sound of a sob escape through his mouth. His shoulders shook with the effort it took to remain quiet. Through it all, his grandfather never moved. "Please get better," he whispered. "Please. I d-don't want to be alone."

As though in answer, a hand landed on his shoulder. Yuugi jumped and his head snapped around. Yami was standing right behind him, his crimson gaze locked on Sugoroku. Without looking at his hikari, he said, "When I met your grandfather for the first time, he acted strangely, like he was both surprised and pleased to see me. At first, I thought that he was just acting the way most parents do when their kids bring home a new friend. But now I wonder if it was something more. If he knew that I was the reincarnation of the Pharaoh, and what it meant that I was there to see you." There was a very slight hint of bitterness to his voice. "I didn't think anything of it at the time. I'm sorry. I should have questioned it more."

"It's not your fault," Yuugi mumbled, glancing back at Sugoroku. "I haven't talked to him very much since all of this began. He knew that I'd put the Millennium Puzzle together, but I didn't tell him anything else. Maybe if I had..." He trailed off, and the implication behind his words was clear: perhaps if he had, then Sugoroku might have shared some of his secrets as well.

Yami sighed. "You don't know that, Little One. This has all been happening very quickly, and he likely had his reasons for staying quiet on the matter. Besides, you couldn't have known."

"No, but that doesn't stop me from feeling guilty," he pointed out. "I just wish that I could talk to him and find out what happened. I... I just wish that he would wake up." His voice came out embarrassingly small, and cracked on the last two words as more tears welled up in his eyes. "I don't want to be alone again. Everyone I care about either leaves me or dies, and I don't want... I want..." He trailed off, his mouth opening and closing soundlessly.

"You are not alone," Yami repeated. "I'm here. I won't leave you, I swear it."

There it was. The one thing that he had been yearning for someone – _anyone _– to say. Yuugi gave a muffled sob as he twisted, throwing himself into the arms of his other half. Despite his surprise, Yami caught him and cradled him, deep voice murmuring endless reassurances as his hikari clung to him and wept. He gently rubbed Yuugi's back, thinking to himself that someday soon, he would ask his little light what had happened to him, that he believed everyone he loved would either leave or die. In the meantime, Yuugi was far too upset to answer such questions. The night had been full of revelations for both of them, and not all of them had been pleasant.

"Come on, Little One," he said at last. The hour was growing late, and it was more dangerous for them to be out at night alone then it was during the day. "Visiting hours are almost over."

"But what if something happens?" Yuugi rubbed at swollen eyes, clutching Yami's shirt tightly with his free hand.

"Isis is just down the hall. She'll know and notify us," he said reassuringly. "We'll come right away."

Yuugi nodded hesitantly and turned back to his grandfather. Stepping forward, he leaned down and kissed the man's forehead before backing away and allowing Yami to lead him out of the room. He was utterly terrified that it would be the last time he ever saw Sugoroku alive, but the hospital wouldn't allow them to stay much longer, and he was getting very tired. It was no wonder that neither of them were terribly impressed to see, when they emerged into the main floor, that Rebecca, Anzu and Professor Hawkins were sitting in the waiting room. Yami's face darkened into a scowl at the sight of Anzu, and Yuugi stifled a groan as Rebecca's eyes lit up at the sight of him.

"Darling!" she squealed, so loud that several patients, nurses, and doctors turned to give her dirty looks. "We heard about Mutou-san. How terrible. You must need someone to stay with you. I'd be happy to volunteer for that service."

"Thanks, but I'm okay," Yuugi said, unable to keep himself from inching closer to Yami. For the first time, Rebecca's eyes flickered over to Yami and she pouted, looking less than impressed to see that the boy was still around. "Hawkins-san, I wish you had called first. Visiting hours are ending."

"That's quite alright, Yuugi-kun. I just wanted to make sure you and your grandfather were doing okay," Arthur said. He looked worried, and no wonder; he and Sugoroku had been friends since they were young. "Are you all alone at the shop? Rebecca and I would be happy to have you stay with us. I'm sure your grandfather wouldn't want you staying by yourself."

"He's not. He's staying with me," said Yami, taking a cruel joy out of dashing Rebecca's hopes. "I'm one of his friends from school. We were just leaving," he added, shooting Anzu a pointed look. She refused to back down and came a couple of steps closer.

"It's not safe for you two to be out on your own," she said admonishingly. "What if another one of Pegasus's minions attacked? Let Rebecca-chan and I stay with you until you get to Kaiba's."

"Like hell." Yami glowered at the little blonde and then directed his glare towards Anzu. "You lied to me, Anzu-san. Every time we spoke and you didn't tell me the truth, you lied. I felt guilty for not returning your feelings, but now I'm glad that I never felt that way about you. Our relationship would have been over the moment I learned that you had been keeping the truth from me, regardless of whether Isis, Rishid and Shadi asked you to." His eyes flashed with something that may have been pain. "I believe you once asked me why I insisted on having people like Bakura and Mariku in my life. It's because I can trust them."

The implication of that statement appeared to hit her like a slap in the face. Her cheeks went pale and she staggered back a step, speechless. Yami swept by her, looking every inch the regal Pharaoh, and led Yuugi out of the hospital. A very familiar black limo was idling at the curb. Silently blessing his cousin, he ushered Yuugi into the vehicle and then climbed in after him, slamming the door before Anzu could snap out of her shocked daze and try to come after them again. Yuugi glanced up at him but seemed to know better than to say anything. Instead, he curled up against his yami's side and went to sleep, leaving the darkness to stare out the window and fume at the turn of events. One thing was for certain: he had no interest in speaking to Anzu or any of the others who had consistently kept the truth from him anytime soon.

**GMA**

It wasn't a motorcycle, but riding in a limo was pretty sweet. Malik leaned back against the plush seat and drew a thoughtful finger across the material - as he'd guessed, it was real leather, and no doubt cost a fortune. Everything that Seto Kaiba owned was a subtle reminder that the man was in possession of more money than most people could ever dream of. And yet... his life was every bit as fucked up as the rest of them. A wry smirk crossed his face at that thought before he sighed, leaning his head against the cool glass. None of their friends had chosen to come back in the limo with them, but then again, he and Mariku hadn't exactly waited for anyone. He was pretty sure he'd seen Seto and Jou stumbling over to the limo just as he and Mariku directed the driver to pull away. The look on Seto's face had been priceless, and had amused him for about five minutes until reality set in.

Out of everyone, Malik was probably the only person who could say that he wasn't shocked, hurt, or disappointed by the events of the night. Isis had made it abundantly clear several days ago that there was nothing she would stop at when it came to his protection. So to hear that she had approached the reincarnations of the other members of the Pharaoh's court wasn't exactly surprising, at least to him. Malik was just counting himself lucky that there was no one else in his life that had been lying to him. No, apparently it was just his sister. He smiled bitterly, gazing beyond his reflection at the night sky. Now they_ all_ knew what that taste of betrayal felt like, but it didn't make him feel any better.

Warm arms that were gradually becoming familiar slipped around his waist. A head of blond hair appeared on his lap. Malik arched an eyebrow. "Comfortable?"

"Extremely," Mariku purred cheerfully, deliberately wiggling until his head was directly over an important part of Malik's anatomy. The hikari flushed, but failed to push him away. Instead, he turned back to the window. Mariku watched him for a long moment before he spoke. "Kiss for your thoughts?"

"What?" Lavender eyes widened as a flush spread across Malik's cheeks. He huffed and folded his arms. "Stop saying things like that, you pervert."

Mariku grinned. "Are you holding out on me? Because I could offer you a lot more than just a _kiss_ – "

"Shut up!" Malik growled, his face nearly on fire. "I'm not – I don't..." He let his voice trail off and, instead, allowed his head to drop back against the seat cushion with a low groan of frustration. It was impossible to stop thinking about his – no, their friends. All of them had been hurt and upset to some degree, but there was nothing he could do about it.

There was another moment of silence before Mariku said, "Did I ever tell you that I was alive in Ancient Egypt as well?"

Malik blinked and furrowed his eyebrows. "No... I got that impression, but you never mentioned it specifically."

"I was an assassin," his yami said with a hint of pride. "The best in the land. Bakura and I were good friends, you know. I'd go in and kill the guards, he'd plunder the place, and then we'd split the riches." There was a silly smile on his face.

"Are you lying to me?" Malik asked warily.

"No. I'm being honest. I remember everything about that life. I always have, just like Bakura. We didn't really want to do the ritual. Not like the Pharaoh," Mariku smirked. "When I was younger, my parents thought I was crazy, you know. They couldn't understand why I kept talking about Ancient Egypt and were ready to toss me in an asylum and throw away the key. That's why the second Rishid turned eighteen, he took me, and we left. I haven't seen them since. Aniki has taken care of me for over ten years."

Understanding was kind of slow in coming. "Is that why you don't seem to be very angry at him?"

The yami sat up, swinging his legs back down onto the floor. He reached out and hooked an arm around Malik's shoulders, pulling his other half closer. "If Aniki feels even a fraction towards me of what I feel for you, then I can understand his desire to protect me," he said quietly, sounding unusually serious. "I'm pissed about the fact that he hid things from me, but that's always the way he's been. He thinks I'm too _rash _and _impetuous_ sometimes. I'll get over it – and so will your friends. Don't worry yourself into a state over them, Kitten."

"K-Kitten?" Malik swallowed hard. His heart was being very fast.

"You didn't seem to mind the name at the hospital," he fairly purred. Malik just stared up at him with wide eyes as Mariku began to lean down...

The car stopped.

The door opened.

Malik jerked away and hastily made his escape.

Mariku sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Then he turned to scowl at the rather surprised chauffer. "You're fired," he said petulantly, sulking. "You let my prey escape."

"My apologies, good sir," the chauffer said, seemingly unfazed by his dismissal. "I hope you have a good evening."

"I would have, until you stopped the fucking car," he muttered, climbing out of the limo. Mariku eyed the mansion speculatively. The night was young. Seto and Jou would no doubt be distracting Mokuba and Shizuka when they returned. A feral smile spread across his face as a gleam entered his eyes. Perhaps the night would be_ fun_ after all.

* * *

Please review!


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N:** Thanks so much for all of the reviews last chapter. I know a few people are still reeling from the whole guardian thing but hey, we can't just sit around, now. It's time to get some action back into the story. Or start to, anyway. And for anyone who really enjoys bronzeshipping or tendershipping, I've posted a new story concerning those two pairings. I haven't gotten a whole lot of feedback on it, but I'd appreciate some if anyone is looking for something extra to do this weekend. Otherwise, enjoy!

* * *

They cornered him later, as he'd known that they would. He was standing at his locker, which was fortunately now on the bottom row instead of the top, which he could barely see into, and quickly taking the books he wouldn't need for the night out of his backpack so that they could be shoved into his locker in whatever manner they would fit. Yami had asked that they meet after school, and Yuugi had agreed, if for no other reason than he didn't think he could face going back to the Kame Game Shop all by himself. Ryou or Malik would have gladly accompanied him, but he didn't feel right in asking them to do it, either. It would be upsetting for all of them to visit the shop without Sugoroku's cheerful presence, and his friends had more than enough on their plates as it was.

So there he was, bent over his backpack, when a hand fell on his shoulder. In spite of the fact that he'd known it would be coming eventually, Yuugi still jumped about a foot in the air and managed to crack the top of his head against the metal of the locker door in the process. Stars burst in front of his eyes and he barely managed to hold back a pained groan as, almost instantly, a headache started to throb in his temples, and _just_ when he'd finally been feeling more recovered from Maiden of the Moonlight's attack, too. Clasping a hand to the aching spot, he backed out of the locker and turned, squinting up at the people standing behind him. His heart sank, though he was not really surprised to see that Mazaki Anzu, Hiroto Honda, and Otogi Ryuji were surrounding him.

"Rebecca-san's not with you, is she?" he blurted. It was the first thing that came to mind.

Anzu smiled. "No, she's not," she answered, sounding more than a little amused. "Are you alright, Yuugi-kun? You hit your head awfully hard. Do you need to go see the nurse?"

"I'm okay," he said once the ringing in his ears had faded a bit. "You just startled me, that's all. What did you want?"

"I – we – wanted to talk to you about what happened last night," Anzu said quietly, leaning towards him a little. "I tried to talk to Yami-san earlier, and he completely brushed me off." She bit her lip, looking anxious and pained, and twisted her hands together. "I don't think he wants anything to do with me right now."

"He's just upset," Yuugi said, glancing away from her. "He'll get over it."

"I certainly hope so. Now, do you mind if we have a chat?"

Yuugi considered the request. His last class had let out about fifteen minutes early, so he had anywhere from twenty minutes to half an hour until he had to meet Yami. He suspected that his other half would probably be annoyed if he knew Yuugi was even considering talking to the "guardians", but honestly, he was curious as to what they might have to say. And really, there couldn't be any harm in just _talking_ to them, right? Slowly, he nodded, softening further when at the sight of the look of relief that spread across Anzu's face. It was obvious that Yami's rejection had cut deep, which was likely exactly what the boy had intended.

"We'll go outside," she said quickly, not wanting to give him a chance to change his mind. "Shizuka-chan and Mokuba-kun are waiting for us."

"Alright," he agreed, slamming his locker door shut. "Lead the way."

The three of them, especially Anzu, were all too eager to do just that, quickly leading him down the hall and outside, across the school yard, and down the street. Yuugi hesitated to go too far away from the school, and was relieved when he realized their target: a small playground that was just a few doors down from the school. Sure enough, as they approached, he could Shizuka and Mokuba waiting for him. Mokuba was wearing a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt, and Shizuka was dressed in a skirt and coat. They were sitting on the swings and having a quiet discussion with their heads close together. Upon closer perusal, he could tell that Shizuka had been crying, and that sight made him feel bad for her. Jou had been so angry that he hadn't spoken a single word to his sister in almost two days, perhaps fearing what he might say if he did. The situation was clearly upsetting her.

"Hey, you came!" Mokuba exclaimed, rising to his feet. The swing bobbed gently behind him as Shizuka glanced up with a surprised expression. "I didn't think that you would."

"Why not?" Yuugi asked, genuinely curious.

Mokuba blinked. "Nii-sama is pissed. So's Yami. I guess I figured that you would feel the same way."

Yuugi gave a half-shrug in response. In all honesty, there was just no room for much anger inside of him. Not with all of the emotions that he'd been going through during the last few days. "I never said I wasn't angry," he said, just to avoid letting them off the hook altogether. "I just thought that you deserved to have someone who was willing to listen to your explanation."

"And we thank you for that," Anzu said, folding her arms. She didn't look particularly grateful, though. More determined. "Yuugi-kun, you have to convince Yami-san and the others that we meant no harm by being guardians and trying to protect you all. Even if we didn't tell you, it's what Isis asked us to do. We were just following directions."

"Did it ever occur to you to just _not_ follow them?" He couldn't resist asking, and didn't even feel guilty when he saw Anzu flinch at the question. "You could have just told Yami that Isis had approached you and he might have understood. Maybe he would have even welcomed your help. He's pretty fair, you know."

"How would you know? You've only known him for about five minutes!" she snapped, blue eyes blazing.

"Anzu!" Otogi said sternly, a clear warning in his voice when Yuugi's eyes widened at the comment. The green-eyed boy shot her a glare before turning back to Yuugi. "Look. None of us wanted this job, okay? Acting as a guardian to some kid who happens to be the reincarnation of a pharaoh is not my idea of a good time. Isis, Shadi and Rishid made it seem like things would be over with sooner if we made your yami and his foolish friends seem more vulnerable by not having any protection whatsoever." He put a hand on his hip and swept his hair over one slender shoulder, looking put-out. "Obviously, that never ended up happening. I tried to tell you people, but did you listen? Pegasus is no one's fool."

"All of your business deals with him tell you that?" Anzu muttered.

Otogi rolled his eyes. "I keep telling you, that's entirely separate! Business does not care if Pegasus is a psycho trying to take over the world or collect the Millennium Items. As long as Industrial Illusions exists in the here and now, with a good reputation, I have to deal with them, okay?"

Yuugi looked at Otogi with more interest. Although he had met Shizuka and Mokuba, and had attended elementary school with Anzu and Honda, he didn't know the other boy at all. This was the first time he'd ever even seen Otogi up close, and he couldn't help feeling a little intimidated by the overwhelming amount of confidence practically oozing out of Otogi's every pore. His long, silken black hair was pulled up into a tight ponytail, and his emerald green eyes were heavily lined with kohl to emphasize them even further. Added on to that were the tight leather pants and the red shirt that showed off most of his muscles, and he noticed that several girls walking by had slowed down to stare and giggle. Surprisingly, however, if Otogi noticed the interest, he was ignoring it.

"You know Pegasus?" he asked, giving his full attention to the boy and ignoring the others entirely for the time being. "How?"

"My family owns the _Black Crown_," Otogi replied, naming the extremely popular chain of stores that had begun popping up around Domino and the surrounding areas about five years ago. It had nearly put the Kame Game Shop out of business. He added, "And I invented DDD, or _Dice, Dungeons, and Dragons_. Pegasus was interested in purchasing the rights to the game from me." Shooting an annoyed glare at Anzu, who just rolled her eyes, he continued, "Industrial Illusions is one of the biggest gaming companies around. The only one more important was Kaiba Corp. I had to take the chance while I had it."

"You didn't _have_ to - " Anzu began, clearly willing to continue what was obviously an old fight.

"Enough!" Amazingly, the shout came from Shizuka, who had risen to her feet, revealing green-flecked eyes that sparkled intently with tears. "Please, you two, we don't have time for stupid fights. This is totally ridiculous. It's bad enough that everyone is angry at us, and that we left the school un-protected in order to have this talk, but if we fight amongst each other, we're doing exactly what Pegasus would want. So just stop it!"

A guilty look flickered over Anzu's face and she took an unconscious step back. "I'm sorry, Shizuka-chan, Otogi-kun," she mumbled. "I'm just..." She trailed off and shook her head.

"Otogi's sorry, too," Honda said, looping an arm around the smaller boy's shoulders. Otogi opened his mouth, perhaps to protest, and Honda quickly covered it. "Yuugi, basically what we're trying to say is that we would all appreciate it if you could help explain to the others that we were just trying to do our jobs. We were asked to protect you, but at the same time, keep our distance. I'm only friends with Jou and believe me, that was a lot harder than it sounds. I can't imagine what it was like for the others." He cast a quick look at Anzu, Shizuka, and Mokuba. "Believe me when I say that none of us meant to... to lie for so long."

"I know," Yuugi said quietly, though he wasn't quite sure what else to say. If his grandfather had been trying to protect him, then he was too grateful to the man to even think about being mad. Ryou was too busy thinking about Anzu's cryptic comments about his sister to be pissed, but Bakura was fuming enough for the both of them. Yami was just plain furious, and Malik and Mariku were unusually quiet, which was likely a sign that neither of them were too happy, either. Seto had retreated into an icy cold silence, and even the perpetually cheerful Jou had been giving everyone the silent treatment. None of that could be erased with a few words, no matter who those words came from. "I just don't know what to tell you. I'm not sure Yami will even want to listen to me, much less Jou and the others."

"You're his hikari," Mokuba said flatly. "He'll listen. You're all he's thought about for the past several years."

A flush came over Yuugi's cheeks. "Just because I might be his hikari doesn't mean that Yami will automatically listen to me," he stated defensively. "He_ is_ still his own person, you know, and that's exactly why he's so mad. If he's supposed to be the Pharaoh, then why aren't you treating him right? You all keep making decision_ for_ him… and not just for Yami, but for everyone! That doesn't seem right to me. And I don't see why it should be my responsibility to smooth things over when it's your own fault. Even if you_ were_ just listening to Isis or Rishid, you should have known better! You're supposed to be friends with Yami or Jou or whoever, you know," he added, looking around at the group. "Surely you must have realized that this was coming!"

His little speech caused a heavy silence to fall over the group. No one was quite willing to meet his eyes after that, and Yuugi just sighed to himself. He could see things from their point of view in a way, but he also knew Yami was feeling. The emotions and vague senses that had been floating through their bond for the past few days told him the darkness was actually rather hurt by what had been going on behind his back, though he'd never be willing to admit it. Yami was completely out of sorts because he didn't know what his place in the world was supposed to be. That much had been obvious from the little comments he made here and there. But no one else seemed to willing to understand where they were coming from, and that just made him more annoyed than anything. It must have shown on his face, because Shizuka stepped forward.

"Please." She reached out and laid a hand on Yuugi's arm. Her eyes were filled with such pleading that he couldn't look away. "I can't stand it when Onii-chan is angry with me. I know that it's not even the fact that I'm helping to protect him… It's that I was hiding this from him. We don't keep secrets, the two of us, and I assure you that it's been very difficult for me. I just want the chance to talk to him and explain. He won't even give me that, right now."

He sighed, unable to deny that quiet plea. "I'll try, okay? I'll talk to Jou and maybe he can talk to Seto." Yuugi glanced at Mokuba, who looked relieved. "But I can't promise they'll be understanding. And as for the rest of you… Fix your own problems."

"Yuugi-kun!" Anzu exclaimed, sounding wounded. "Why won't you help us?"

"Because I think you're the only one who can do anything about it," Yuugi answered calmly. He'd never really liked Rebecca, only tolerated her for his grandfather's sake, so finding out that she had been lying to him – or at least, keeping the truth from him – all along wasn't a huge deal. But Yami had been fond of Anzu, and had even felt a certain amount of guilt over not being able to return her feelings. Now he felt like she had been playing him all along, and for someone like Yami, that was a huge blow to his pride. Anzu was the only one who could smooth things over between them, and if she wasn't willing to put in the effort, then no one would be able to help her. "If you really like him that way, Anzu-chan, and you really want him to speak to you again, then you have to be the one who goes the extra mile to fix things. It won't mean anything coming from me."

"_Thank _you," Otogi muttered, draping an arm around Yuugi's shoulders. He stooped a little so that he could speak directly into Yuugi's ear. "We've been trying to tell her that for the past two days. She seems to go a little around the bend when it comes to your yami. I'd watch out if I were you."

In a flash, Anzu's depressed expression vanished. She turned a murderous glare on Otogi for the implication. The boy's eyes widened and he took a single step backwards before he whirled and fled, dashing back in the direction of the school and presumed safety. Anzu took off after him. Honda put a hand over his face and sighed, shaking his head slowly before he ambled after the two of them. Shizuka giggled and wiped a few of the tears off of her face, while Yuugi stared after them in astonishment, realizing that perhaps he didn't know Anzu as well as he'd thought. She had apparently changed a great deal.

"She won't... hurt him, will she?" he asked nervously.

"Nah." Mokuba waved a hand. "Anzu-san and Otogi-kun fight like that all the time. Otogi-kun takes a special kind of pleasure in being able to set her off. Thanks, Yuugi. This means a lot."

"Really, thank you, Yuugi-san," Shizuka added softly, giving him a tiny smile. "I just... If you can get Onii-chan to listen to me, I can take it from there. We both can." She glanced at Mokuba.

"I'll do my best, but Jou really loves you, so I wouldn't be too worried," Yuugi told her. He could well remember how destroyed Jou had been when Shizuka had been taken from him in elementary school. For weeks, the blond had wandered around the school with an utterly lost look on his face, like he hadn't been quite sure what he was supposed to do now that his sister was gone. There was no way that Jou would be able to give her the silent treatment for much longer without breaking; frankly, it was amazing he'd lasted that long.

"That's right," Mokuba said with a grin, sliding an arm around Shizuka's slender shoulders. "All we have to do is make him sit down long enough for you to give him the puppy eyes, and he'll melt all over the place."

Yuugi smirked, remembering his own experience with Yami. "I'd say that's an accurate description," he agreed. The argument between him and Yami had certainly ended the instant Yami caught sight of his puppy eyes. He was actually kind of proud of how fast the reincarnated Pharaoh had crumbled. At that thought, he checked his watch and realized that it was about five minutes past the time that the school would have let out. That meant Yami was probably looking for him, and he wouldn't be pleased if he heard that Yuugi had left the building with Anzu, Otogi, and Honda. Finding out that there were guardians around had only served to make Yami more protective, not less. "Do you mind if we head back to the school now? I'm supposed to meet with Yami."

"We'll walk you back," Shizuka said instantly.

"You don't have to - " he began.

Mokuba said firmly, "Yes, we do. If something happened to you, Yami would kill us, and I doubt even Nii-sama or Nii-chan would be able to stop him."

"Fine." It was easier just to give in. Yuugi hitched his bag higher and started walking back towards the school. Shizuka and Mokuba fell into step beside him, one on either side. Both of them appeared to be on alert, though they were very subtle about it, which he appreciated. It was nothing short of bizarre to think that there was an evil psychopath out to steal his Millennium Item, or worse, if he tried to stop the theft. He hadn't forgotten the stunning set of bruises that Ryou had received from Samira, or the spell from Tsuki that had nearly killed him. Some part of him appreciated their presence, even if it was strange to have guardians who were so young.

"How are you and Yami doing, Yuugi-san?" Mokuba asked finally, scuffling his foot against the ground. "Are you... getting along well? I only ask because I know how hard Yami can be to get along with," he added in a rush when he saw the blush on Yuugi's cheeks. "I don't mean to pry, it's just... He and Nii-sama are too much alike, sometimes, and I know it can get frustrating. The last time I really had a chance to talk to you, you didn't even want to admit that you were his hikari. So I just thought I'd ask."

"It's going fine," Yuugi said, looking down at his feet. "It's... weird. A couple of weeks ago, I was just a normal kid trying to solve the Millennium Puzzle." His hands moved to cup the Puzzle, and he gazed down at the golden object silently for a long moment, gathering his thoughts. "Suddenly, my whole life has completely changed. I... I like being with Yami, but it's..."

"Overwhelming?" Shizuka suggested gently. "That's to be expected for all of you, Yuugi-san. You weren't born into this like Yami-san and the others were, and even they're having a hard time. It will take some time for you to find your place."

Whatever he might have wanted to say completely fled his mind when he looked up and saw the school. The building wasn't actually there anymore. It was a... cloud. A dark, stormy, violet-black cloud that was practically oozing a feeling of wrongness. His skin prickled at the very sight of it, and a sense screamed into his mind that he should be running in the opposite direction as fast as his legs could take him because he couldn't really feel Yami anymore. Instead, he took off towards the school, startling Mokuba and Shizuka, who looked after him with confused expressions until they caught sight of the cloud.

"Yuugi, _stop_!" Mokuba yelled, racing after him. He caught up to the older boy just as Yuugi would have run straight into the cloud and caught Yuugi's arm, jerking them both to a stop.

"Let go!" Yuugi ordered. "All of my friends are in there. Ryou and Malik are in there!" And so was Yami, a tiny voice in the back of his mind whispered. He cringed and grabbed Mokuba's hand, trying to force him to release his grip.

"That's the Shadow Realm," Shizuka said, breathing heavily as she stopped near them. She bent slightly, placing her hands on her thighs as she panted. "It's a very dangerous place for normal humans to go because they lack the magic to open a portal back to the regular world. So at best, you might get lost and just spend an eternity wandering around without being able to find your way out. At worst, if a Duel Monster caught you, they would probably kill you. You'd be sent to the graveyard and you won't come back."

"Right. That's why you should stay here, and Shizuka-chan and I will go in and see what's going on," Mokuba said.

"No way. I'm not a normal human, after all," Yuugi pointed out. He stopped prying at Mokuba's fingers and settled for scowling at the two of them. "I'm a hikari, remember? And my yami is in there. Without me and the Puzzle, he doesn't have nearly enough magic to do anything. I have to get to him." His heart was pounding, and he felt useless, just standing there.

Shizuka looked hesitant. "Yuugi-san... the Shadow Realm is an even worse place for a hikari to go," she said worriedly. "You are light... and that realm is the absence of that. It is darkness, but it doesn't have a balance. It's an absence that searches for light. I don't think... I know it could swallow you."

He couldn't quite repress a shudder at the thought, but it didn't lessen his determination. "The Puzzle will protect me," he said with a confidence that he didn't really feel. "I'm not going to let Pegasus win this."

Mokuba and Shizuka exchanged doubtful looks. It was obvious that neither of them were happy with the idea of Yuugi going anywhere near the Shadow Realm. But it wasn't like they could really stop him, either, especially when Yuugi decided to take matters into his own hands. Without warning, he jerked backwards, hard enough to make Mokuba stumble. His arm came free, and before Mokuba could grab him a second time, he plunged into the dark purple-black cloud, leaving them behind. Swearing under his breath, Mokuba jumped up, grabbed Shizuka's hand, and ran after him.

**GMA**

Because they were in the same class as Yuugi, Ryou and Malik also had the last fifteen minutes of school to themselves. Malik remained behind with their teacher, but Ryou went up to the roof. It wasn't exactly a place that held good memories for him, but he needed some fresh air, and he knew that it wasn't a good idea to leave the schoolyard without Bakura. There was no telling when the next Duel Monster was going to show up. Almost unconsciously, his hand went up to his cheek, where the lingering bruising from his last encounter with Samira was still vividly painted across his pale skin. The livid purple and blue splotch, faded to a splotchy yellow at the edges, had gotten him more than a few concerned looks at school. He'd offered up a lame story about running into a door that no one really believed.

"Okay, so I suck at lying, sue me," he muttered, leaning against the chain link fence. His eyes were drawn to a familiar head of red, gold, and black hair. It was Yuugi, leaving the yard with Anzu and two boys Ryou didn't know. He briefly wondered if Yami knew and suspected that the other boy was unaware. No doubt Anzu was trying to work her way back into Yami's good graces through Yuugi. Ryou doubted that it would work, but he couldn't fault the girl for trying.

A chill ran down his spine and he shivered, wrapping his arms around his stomach loosely. It was steadily growing colder outside, he noticed... and was it just him, or was the air growing hazy? Ryou blinked and then rubbed his eyes, wondering if he was losing it. The world actually seemed to be growing_ darker_. He looked up at the sky, wondering if there was an eclipse than no one had mentioned, and was alarmed to see that the sun and sky were actually fading away. No – a mass of _something _was forming. Dark as ink, cold as anything, and with the same kind of feeling that he'd gotten when Samira had hugged him. His mind flickered back to that moment when Bakura had gotten rid of Samira by sending her into a world of black, a world of shadows, and fear shot through him.

He spun, intending to get back into the school before the shadows took over completely, and found that the door to the stairwell was gone. Ryou stopped, his breathing coming in low, harsh gasps as he stared at the spot where his salvation had been. Suddenly nervous, he took a single step backwards and looked around. The world had gone completely foggy and dark, so dark that he could hardly see his hand when he held it up in front of his face. Fear tingled down the back of his spine and he shivered, realizing that he was alone. Against his will, he found himself remembering the expression of abject terror on Samira's face when she fell into Bakura's trap.

"Oh God," he muttered under his breath. The temperature had dropped a few degrees, like he'd entered a twisted version of winter. "Hello! Can anyone hear me? Hello!"

His voice almost seemed to echo for a few feet before the sound was abruptly cut off. Wincing, Ryou started to walk, holding his hands out in front of him, half-expecting to trip over something he couldn't see at any moment. There was no way to tell where he was going; he'd gotten completely turned around, and for all he knew, he was about to walk right off of the roof. That thought was enough to make him stop instantly. He stood completely still, his heart pounding so hard that it was beginning to physically hurt. Where was he supposed to go? Was he supposed to just sit there and be a sitting duck for whomever or whatever decided to stumble by and kill him?

He sucked in a sharp, frightened breath, feeling very much like a sitting duck. "Bakura, where are you?" he whispered. As much as the older boy annoyed and vexed him, he would have given just about anything to see Bakura walk out of the shadows right then. "Please - can't anyone help me?"

Someone giggled. Ryou tensed up even more, his breath coming in quick, short pants as he looked around desperately, wondering where the mischievous sound had come from. He squinted, straining his eyes in an effort to see through the murky darkness. A sharp pain in his shoulder made him yelp. At the same time, something swept his feet out from under him. The ground of shadows was still fairly hard, as he discovered when he landed flat on his back. It knocked all of the air out of him, and for a couple of minutes, he just laid there, gasping harshly, while the sounds of what was unmistakably a battle came through the air from where to his left. Flinching, he finally managed to roll onto his side and sat up, clutching uselessly at his shoulder.

"Who's there?" he demanded, searching blindly. "Show yourself!"

A low sound, like a sigh - and then she was there. Ryou blinked up at her, his mouth open with shock. She was fairly tall, much taller than he remembered, with the same soft, white hair that had plagued them both as children. Her deep maroon eyes twinkled mischievously and her lips formed that familiar smile. It was her clothing that was throwing him off. The left side of her body was dressed as an angel, complete with a single white wing, while the right side of her body was dressed as a demon, with a leathery bat wing. A heart had been painted over her chest, with the left side red and the right side deep purple. It was so odds at with what he remembered, and yet it fit, too - she who would turn on the tears to get him in trouble one minute and then smile sweetly the next.

"A-Amane?" he said finally, dazed. "Onee-chan... is that you?"

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Please review!


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N:** Thanks for the reviews. I am just having way too much fun with this story, I swear. I love throwing all of these twists and turns into it. Honestly, even I don't see some of them coming! A couple of people did mention that they felt not too much happened in the last chapter, and honestly, sometimes you just need a chapter like that to keep the story moving. Fortunately, this one is filled with things that (I think) are much more interesting. Enjoy!

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Unlike Yuugi and Ryou, Malik was not alone when the world plunged into the darkness. He'd been standing in their classroom, listening with a less than patient expression as their teacher, Miyamoto, scolded him for not having completed any of his homework during the past few weeks. That, on top of the amount of school that he had missed, was more than enough to put him on her shit list, and she was clearly enjoying the chance to ream him out judging by the barely contained look of satisfaction in her eyes. Even though his friends were in the same boat that he was, Malik was the only one who had been singled out for her lecture. It wasn't really surprising, but it _was_ really annoying.

"And another thing, Ishtar-san," she went on, folding her arms in front of her chest. "I can tell that you're not taking my classes seriously. You stare off into space all the time, distract the students around you, and are never prepared to answer a question when I ask you. You're consistently late, and I've noticed that you've missed more classes than you've attended. It sets a poor example for the other students in your class and reflects badly on you. If you don't start behaving more responsibly, I'm going to be forced to call your parents and explain exactly why you're being given detention for an undetermined amount of time."

Malik shot her an incredulous look, just barely choking back a laugh. At one time, a threat like that might have been cause for genuine concern. Hafiz would have been furious if he'd gotten a call from any teacher that suggested his son was being less than perfect, and it would have resulted in the beating of a lifetime. Now, the apartment was probably empty, as Isis had likely gone back to work against the doctor's orders, and the only thing that would happen if she bothered to call was endless ringing with no one to answer. Even if Isis were around, it's not as though she would penalize her brother in light of everything that had been gone. He'd never been the best student, but usually, he did at least try.

"Go ahead," he said, shoving his hands deep into his pockets and leaning back against the desk behind him. He knew that his casual stance was making her even angrier, and relished the thought. "My sister won't get home from work for a while, anyway."

Miyamoto's eyes narrowed slightly. "Then we'll just have to leave her a message, or call her at work," she said crisply, spinning away to face her desk. Before she could take more than a step, the whole world seemed to darken and mist over. A chill ran down his back and he shivered, unable to help the automatic gesture as the temperature in the room plummeted about ten degrees. The teacher drew back with a sharp, frightened shriek as the classroom vanished into an ugly black fog.

"Uh-oh," Malik muttered, unconsciously grabbing the Millennium Rod. It had been tucked into the waistband of his jeans, and he'd worn a shirt tugged down over top of it so that none of the teachers were able see it and make a big deal. The Rod pulsed as soon as his fingers curled around it, which was soothing, and he felt better as soon as it was in his hands. Unfortunately, Miyamoto chose that moment to turn around, and when she saw what he was holding onto, her eyes narrowed even further. She promptly forgot about the darkness in lieu of being able to scold him further.

"We do not allow weapons in this school, Ishtar-san," she said harshly, striding back over to him. Amazingly, she was completely focused on Malik and trying to take away the one weapon that they had between them. "I believe that warrants another month of detention and a definite call to your sister's place of work. I'll go visit her at the museum myself if I have to. Now, give that to me." She held a hand out expectantly and wiggled her fingers.

There were a lot of things that Malik could have said right then. First and foremost was a succinct "fuck you" that would have probably gotten him expelled on the spot, but it would've been oh-so-worth-it, so he wouldn't have cared. Second was a "no chance in hell", which probably would have yielded similar results to option one. For the sake of his sister's sanity, he went with option three and outright ignored the teacher. Miyamoto didn't seem to get the message. She actually growled low in her throat and lifted her hand, intending to grab the Rod. Malik jerked backwards instinctively when he saw her hand coming, his mind instinctively flashing back to another, much stronger hand coming in for a blow, and cringed as her fingers brushed against the Rod.

The only thing running through his mind was _pleaseRanodon'thurtmeMarikuhelpme_ - and that seemed to be enough. The Millennium Rod lit up with a dull flash of light, and Miyamoto stopped moving instantly. Her fingers fell from the Rod and her eyes went dull and glassy as she stared off into space at something that no one else could see. Malik cautiously lowered his hands, which he'd thrown over his face for protection, and looked at her in confusion. He was half-expecting her to start yelling again, but she didn't. She didn't move at all, not even when he reached out and snapped his fingers in front of her face. Bewildered, he looked from the Rod to Miyamoto and back again, wondering what exactly the Rod had done to her.

"Hey, sensei, are you okay?" he asked nervously. She didn't answer and didn't move. Malik swore under his breath. "Fuck, Nee-chan is going to kill me. I've fried one of my teachers."

Helplessly, he looked around the dark, cloudy space. He would have given anything to have Isis walk out of the clouds. Hell, he would've gladly settled for Mariku - and he might have even been willing to let the pervert kiss him in return. That thought brought a blush to his cheeks as he shook his head quickly, knowing that it wasn't really the time to think about things like that. Instead, he turned his attention back to his teacher and started trying to wake her up. He tugged on her hand, clapped his hands in front of her face, shouted her name, and physically shook her. Miyamoto didn't make even the slightest effort to protect her body or stop him, but continued to stare forward with a vacant, almost lost expression.

"Fuck. Why won't you do something?" he yelled, finally losing his temper. "At least say something!"

"Something," Miyamoto repeated in a monotone voice.

Malik blinked and turned to stare at her. "What did you say?" he asked in disbelief. "Are you... mocking me?" Somehow, he doubted that. Miyamoto didn't seem to have much of a sense of humour. A nagging suspicion began to grow at the back of his mind, but he prayed he was wrong. Surely Mariku would have mentioned something like _that_... right?

"Sensei, sit down," Malik ordered. He watched in growing shock and horror as Miyamoto obediently folded her legs and sat down right where she stood. The fall must have hurt, as she landed straight on her ass, but no pain crossed her face. Slowly, he looked down at the Rod. "Oh my god... I'm controlling her mind," he whispered in realization.

His first instinct was to drop the Rod and get as far away from it as possible. Only the knowledge that a) the Rod was his only link to Mariku, and b) he would be totally helpless without it kept him from doing just that. Not to mention, he was fairly certain he needed the Rod to un-do whatever he had done to Miyamoto. As much as the woman annoyed him - and make no mistake, she was driving him crazy - he didn't want her to live out the rest of her days as a mindless drone. He shuddered at the thought.

"God, I hope Mariku knows how to reverse this," he muttered, rubbing his forehead. "Remind me to hurt him later for not telling me about this."

"Yes Master," Miyamoto intoned.

"You... what... Oh my _god_," he uttered again, more than just a little horrified. On the surface, the idea of controlling someone's mind sounded like a lot of fun. The reality, on the other hand, was nothing short of completely disturbing. He had the sneaking suspicion that he could have ordered her to do _anything_ and she would have done so without blinking an eye.

"Look, stand up, okay?" Malik said. He tried not to grimace as she stood up as fast as she could. "Come on, let's go." When he turned to walk away and she didn't follow, he stopped and sighed. "Just... just follow me, alright? Stay close."

Miyamoto fell into step behind him, so close that she was nearly tripping him by stepping on the back of his shoes, but Malik was too aggravated to bother telling her off. He clutched the Rod tightly in his hands and looked around at the shadows. The expression on his face practically dared anyone to jump out of the shadows and attack them. There was no way for him to tell where they were going, and he supposed he was going to have to hope that they either found a way of the shadow world, or that Mariku had some way of finding _him_. And that they didn't run into something – or someone – in the meantime.

**GMA**

When the world darkened into the Shadow Realm, Yami couldn't really say that he was surprised. It had been some time since Pegasus's plans had worked, after all. As the students around him began freaking out and their teacher struggled to keep order, he closed his eyes and mentally reached out towards Yuugi and the magic of the Millennium Puzzle. The fact that he couldn't feel either one was alarming, and meant one or two things had happened. Either Yuugi had encountered powerful shadow magic that was acting as a barrier, or the hikari wasn't within the Shadow Realm at all. Yami wasn't sure which one he would have preferred, but he wasn't going to waste time finding out what had happened to his partner. He rose to his feet.

Seto had been watching his cousin, and the second Yami stood, he did as well. He spared a moment to glare disdainfully at one of his female classmates who had dissolved into tears before stepping closer to his cousin. Bakura and Mariku joined Yami at the same time, and the four of them shared a long look. No words needed to be spoken; all of them knew what they had to do. Silently, Seto reached out for his faithful companion, summoning his Duel Monster partner with ease. Surprise flowed down their link, followed by understanding and then raw determination that lit him from the inside out. A slow smile flashed across his face for barely a minute before it disappeared and he became serious once more.

Bakura, for his part, was not impressed in the slightest. His bond with Ryou hadn't progressed as far as the other two, but he could still feel the hikari's presence in his mind. He could tell that Ryou was frightened, and quite possibly in pain. The thought of someone or something touching what belonged to him made his blood boil, and the idea of tracking down the person responsible and torturing them slowly and painfully was the only thing keeping him by Yami's side. Well, that and the knowledge that running off into the Shadow Realm on his own would help no one. He was tied to the Ring and he would be able to find Ryou through that, and with the Ring, they could track down the other Millennium Items. And maybe even the person who had caused this. His smile was distinctively more evil than Seto's, and caused more than one of their classmates to faint on the spot.

Mariku was probably the least worried of the four. For the first time since his bond with Malik had matured, he let down the powerful mental shields that had been protecting his mind. Emotions that didn't belong to him flooded into his mind, and he knew that on the other end, Malik was probably being overwhelmed by what Mariku was feeling. It took him a moment to sort through what was being sent to him, and the most important thing he was able to pick out was the sense of magic. That's when he knew that Malik had successfully used the power of the Rod for the first time. In spite of the fact that the magic was accompanied by a distinct feeling of wanting to cause pain to Mariku, he couldn't help but be proud. And, okay, a little turned on. His feisty, fiery hikari was just too much sometimes.

"Alright, everyone _calm down_!" Their teacher's voice rang out, causing an instant – and eerie – silence to fall. She swept her gaze over the assemble students, looking faintly exasperated. "I want all of you to sit down on the… what passes for the floor and stay there while I go see what's going on. Anyone who moves is going to regret it, understood?"

"Dead woman walking," Bakura muttered, watching her turn and walk into the shadows. He was fairly certain that she would not be returning. Everyone inside of the school had been literally transported into the Shadow Realm... they were no longer on the same plane of existence as Earth. Duel Monsters were rampant inside of the Shadow Realm and the vast majority of them would see a human as a tasty snack. It wasn't safe for anyone who didn't possess shadow magic, and it was particularly dangerous for a hikari. His eyes darkened and he glanced at Yami. "Tell me you're not going to insist that we follow that idiot's orders?"

"I'm tired of following orders," Yami said shortly. "Seto, can you summon a monster to protect these students? I don't want to leave them here alone."

It took but a moment's thought for Seto to summon a creature. A low laugh sounded out from the shadows as a Duel Monster materialized out of thin air. Yami grimaced as he took in the unnaturally bright violet, green, and blue-patterned clothing. The face was painted with dark gray paint and had garish colors making up the eyes, nose, and mouth. Out of all of Seto's monsters, this was one of the ones that he disliked the most, for the clown's presence had never sat quite right with the reincarnated Pharaoh. He stepped quickly out of the way when the clown made a grab for his hair, nearly knocking into Bakura, whose resulting glare scared the clown off.

"Saggi the Dark Clown, you stay here and protect these children," Seto commanded, stopping Saggi's efforts to be annoying almost instantly. The clown clapped its hands together and bowed sharply to its master in response.

"Let's go," Mariku said impatiently, turning to walk away.

"Hang on! We can't just walk into the Shadow Realm without having a destination. Where are we going first?" As soon as he asked the question, Yami regretted it. Just from the looks on Bakura's and Mariku's faces, he _knew _there was going to be an issue. After all, all of them were yamis with missing hikaris; none of them were going to be keen on waiting. He was – unfortunately – right. Seto put a hand to his head after about two minutes of listening to the ensuing fight, keenly aware of the fact that the four of them had a very interested group of observers who were listening to every word.

"_Enough_," he bit out finally, glaring his three extremely annoying companions into a temporarily cowed silence. "I don't want to hear any more of it. Can you all sense your hikaris?"

"I can," said Mariku, an expression on his face that just might have been a pout had it belonged to someone else. "I can tell that he's using the magic of the Millennium Rod." A proud smirk replaced the pout.

"So can I," Bakura muttered. He sounded far less happy about that fact than Mariku did. "I think something's wrong."

"I can't feel Yuugi at all," Yami admitted, scowling.

Seto nodded, sorting things out quickly. "Alright. Yami, you and Bakura will go and find Ryou first. Bakura can lead you to him through the use of their bond. Once you find Ryou, you'll be able to find Yuugi using the Millennium Ring. It will take you right to the Puzzle. Mariku, you and I will go find Malik. Jou can sense me, so if he doesn't meet us there, he'll be close by." He looked at each of the three, practically daring them to argue with his plan. It was the best one that he could come up with on such short notice, particularly when a part of him chafed at the thought of letting Jou wander through the Shadow Realm without his presence. The blond had magic, but he had little practice in using it as anything other than a conductor.

"Alright," grumbled Yami after a long pause. Every part of him was screaming with the urge to track Yuugi down immediately, but he still couldn't sense his little one, and it would be foolhardy to go off into the Shadow Realm alone. Like it or not, he was the reincarnated Pharaoh, and there were some Duel Monsters who would recognize him as such. He could summon some protection even without the Puzzle, but there was no sense in inviting trouble. "Bakura, which way do we go first?"

Without saying a word, the white-haired yami spun on his heel and stalked off into the darkness. Yami rolled his eyes and followed, cursing softly under his breath. Seto watched the two of them go and resisted the urge to sigh before he looked back at Mariku, who was already moving off in the opposite direction. He lingered just long enough to make sure that Saggi was performing his job before he jogged after Mariku to catch up, leaving the rest of their curious, befuddled classmates behind with only a demented clown for protection.

**GMA**

"Ow, shit!" Jou swore for about the fifth time as he tripped and nearly landed on his face. He only just managed to catch his balance and felt a worried surge flood through him from Seto, who had no doubt caught the phantom pain from his faintly throbbing ankle. Rubbing a tired hand over his face, the pup wearily sent back a soothing pulse to calm his lover down and sighed. The Shadow Realm was a damned annoying place to be, and he'd never understood why the yamis and Seto had such an affinity for the place. It creeped him out,_ especially_ when he was trapped there alone.

Glancing around at the endless darkness, he let out another heavy sigh. He had been with his class when the Shadow Realm took over, but it had been fairly easy to slip away in the midst of the mayhem and chaos that had erupted .His main focus had been in making his way to Seto; he knew how dangerous the Shadow Realm could be. During the fight to rescue Shizuka and Mokuba when the two teens had been kidnapped, Pegasus had temporarily trapped him in the horrible space, and although he hadn't been there long, he'd dreaded the Realm ever since. His magic was strong, but he wasn't practiced with it.

"I hate this place," he muttered, wrapping his arms loosely around himself and cautiously taking another step. Seto was somewhere out there, and he wasn't experienced enough to pin down his boyfriend's exact location. Basically, he was just wandering in the general direction he knew Seto was in… and worse, yet, he wasn't alone. That feeling had been dogging him ever since he left the rest of his classmates. Something was watching him… and in the Shadow Realm, that _something_ generally was not friendly.

Jou hated it when he was right.

It came from the side, and only instinct borne from years of having to dodge his father's unexpected blows enabled him to get out of the way. The burst of flames struck the ground where he had been standing as he twisted in the direction that they had come from. Jou had twp seconds to glimpse the sight of a creature – large, with fur and scales, and_ teeth_ – before his feet were swept out from underneath him. He hit the ground hard with a shocked gasp that drove all of the breath from his lungs. As the Duel Monster loomed over him, no doubt thinking he was easy prey, he felt anger bubbling up inside of him. And anger, as he'd learned from the best, was so, so easy with which to manipulate shadow magic.

The power came from somewhere deep inside. It was a feeling caught between a twist and a pull, and it drained him so quickly that it was actually fortunate he wasn't standing, or he likely would have fallen. A roar echoed around the endless space and the Duel Monster hovering over his body froze. It had about two seconds to absorb the fact that it was in serious trouble before the Red Eyes Black Dragon slammed into it, sending it tumbling head over heels into the shadows. When it failed to return, Jou groaned and sat up slowly. Pain flashed hotly all the way down his back and he grimaced, freezing in place, as the possessive dragon settled down beside him with an enquiring chirp.

"You did lovely," Jou said reassuringly, wincing. "Thank you for coming to help me."

With a soft sound that could only be described as a purr, Red Eyes Black Dragon loosely twined her tail around Jou's waist in an affectionate matter. He smiled and patted the scales gently, wondering how he had ended up with_ two_ dragons in his life. The heat radiating off of the scales helped with the cold, though, and before long he felt a little ready to continue on. He stood up cautiously and grimaced when his back protested violently. It was ironic to think that he'd never taken the time to appreciate how important his back was until he'd pulled a couple of muscles. How was he supposed to walk when just standing made his body beg for mercy?

As though sensing his plight, the Red Eyes Black Dragon rumbled and gently nudged him with her nose. When Jou glanced at her, she shifted and lowered her head beside him, then poked him pointedly with her tail. There was no point in pretending that he hadn't understood; he didn't think he'd ever gotten such an obvious invitation. Groaning and freezing every few seconds until the pain lessened, Jou slowly and awkwardly climbed onto her back, helped more than he wanted to admit by her tail, which practically lifted him up. He grabbed onto the edge of one of her scales and hunched his shoulders, realizing that if he leaned forward a little and rested most of his weight on his elbows, it helped. A little.

"Go slowly," he said, holding on tightly. "Take me to any one of my friends that's close." He was hoping for Seto, but he had the sense that the brunette was moving further away from him, not closer, and at that point he was willing to settle for anyone human.

The dragon rose to her feet, mindful of his slender weight. With a single flap of her powerful wings, they were airborne. A jolt of panic caused him to burrow down even further, even if it did cause his whole back to go into spasm. Red Eyes Black Dragon covered miles of the Shadow Realm in only a handful of seconds, and before long, Jou could sense what must have been drawing her attention. Magic, and not just shadow magic. His senses fizzled at the weird sensation, which was similar to his own magic, but more... pure. He instantly recognized it for what it was and sighed in relief. A hikari was close, though whether it was Yuugi, Ryou, or Malik, he wasn't sure. Not that it mattered. Wherever a hikari was, a yami was sure to follow, and probably some time soon.

"Go that way," he said out loud. "Thank you, Red Eyes Black Dragon."

She made another purring sound and her tail whipped lazily through the air as she picked up speed, then ducked sharply in a dive that left a good portion of his stomach behind. Jou swallowed his heart and the girly scream that threatened to escape as she abruptly leveled out and landed neatly on the ground... right in front of a few very familiar people. Mokuba and Shizuka reacted instinctively; both of them formed balls of shadow magic in their palms, but Yuugi just stared with outright fascination glowing in his violet eyes. He didn't appear to be frightened in the slightest.

"Stop!" Jou shouted, lifting his head. "Don't hurt her."

"Onii-chan?" Shizuka exclaimed, dropping her hands to her sides instantly. She looked bewildered. "What... What are you doing? Who is that?"

"This is my partner," he said, gently stroking the back of the dragon's neck. He felt a faint pulse of affection and smiled. It was weird to be feeling something other than Seto, but it felt right. "Her name is Red Eyes Black Dragon."

"Cool," Yuugi breathed, looking utterly enchanted by the sight of the massive dragon. He lifted his gaze to the boy sitting astride, the awe falling away to be replaced by fear. "Jou… Have you seen Yami?"

"No, sorry." Jou shook his head and watched with interest as Yuugi's face fell. He was surprised to see his friend showing so much emotion when it came to his yami. As far as he knew, Yuugi had been fighting the bond between him and Yami since the moment that the two of them had met, but something had clearly changed. Worry flashed into the blonds' face, and he shifted uneasily. "Has something happened?"

"Not that I know of," the hikari mumbled, barely loud enough to be heard. His hand rose and rested lightly on the Millennium Puzzle. "I… I can't… can't feel him."

"It's probably just the Shadow Realm interfering with your bond," Mokuba said encouragingly, exchanging a concerned look with Shizuka. Jou knew what they were thinking. Yuugi and Yami were close enough that they should have been able to sense one another now that they were both inside the Shadow Realm. Either something was deliberately blocking them - which should have been impossible - or something had happened to Yami. His gut clenched hard at the thought. It was times like this that he wished his bond with Seto was more advanced, like the one that the yamis and hikaris would someday share.

"I'm sure that's it," he said out loud, hoping that what he was thinking wasn't showing on his face. He needed to remain optimistic. "Come on. We'll go look for him right now."

"How can we find him?" A doubtful look crossed Yuugi's face.

"Red Eyes Black Dragon can sense magic," he replied, a shadow of pride flashing across his face. "She can even tell the difference between the shadow magic a Duel Monster would use and the shadow magic a yami would use. How do you think I found you three? Now, come on."

It took no more urging to get the three to scramble up beside him. Jou helped as best he could, even though the strain that it put on his back to pull Shizuka and Yuugi up nearly made him pass out. He blinked back spots of black and wrapped an arm around Shizuka's waist to help her sit down. She cast him a hesitant glance, followed by a tentative smile. There was no way he would be able to smile through the pain, so he settled for patting her on the shoulder, and felt a little better when the affectionate touch went a long way towards erasing the worried shadow in her eyes.

"Everybody ready?" he asked. Receiving affirmative nods and mumbles of agreement, he leaned forward again, clenching his teeth against the persistent pain as his back muscles went into spasm, and whispered, "Let's go, Red Eyes Black Dragon."

**GMA**

"What's the matter, chibi?" The Duel Monster took a step forward, bringing her close enough to Ryou that the edge of her robe brushed against his legs. He flinched. "I saved your life again, you know. That's about twenty packs of pocky you owe me."

Ryou just blinked at her, too amazed to reply. His first thought had been that someone was playing a cruel joke by taking on the face of his beloved sister, but… the nickname was one that only Amane had ever used, and one of their favorite jokes when they were children was that Amane always had to save his life and keep him out of trouble. She'd demand pocky as a repayment, and he used to pretend to get angry over the fact that his life was only worth one box of pocky. No one else would have known that. Could it be…?

"A-Amane?" he whispered again, suddenly feeling faint.

"Don't faint on me, okay?" she said, anticipating what might happen. "I've got some things you need to know."

"I thought you were dead," Ryou said numbly. His fingers twitched with the urge to reach out and touch her, but he refrained, just in case it really was an illusion.

A small, sad smile curved her lips. "I _am_ dead, Ryou. Living people don't get to be Duel Monsters, you know." She started to reach out towards him and then stopped when he pulled back. "I died years ago, but I've been watching over you ever since then."

"What… I don't… How…" He took a deep breath. His head was spinning. "_What_?"

She sighed. "Most people just go on to the next step when they die," she said patiently. "But like the other guardians you met, I existed in Egypt, and I had... have… shadow magic. I also didn't want to leave you once I found out what your future would be like. When I refused to move on, I was given the option of becoming a Duel Monster and residing in the Shadow Realm so that I could watch over you. I'm your partner monster, chibi. Lovely to meet you again."

For a couple of minutes, Ryou just stared down at the hand she had extended to him, his mind working furiously in an effort to understand what he'd just been told. Amane was alive. Sort of. She lived in the Shadow Realm… he vaguely remembered hearing the yamis talk about that place in connection to the Millennium Items, but he hadn't paid much attention at the time. And she was a Duel Monster now, which meant… What? He looked up at her, at her warm smile, and felt like his heart was being squeezed. Who cared? His sister was alive!

"Nee-chan!" The affectionate name fell from his lips as he lunged forward, bypassing her hand to throw his arms around her waist. Amane stumbled back a step with a gasp, but caught her balance with a quick flutter of her wings. She looked down at the top of his head as he clung to her, and her eyes softened as his shoulders trembled with tears. Gently, she stroked her hand through his hair and spoke.

"Don't worry my chibi. Nee-chan's here. Nothing will be able to hurt you now. Nee-chan will take care of everything, I promise."

Still clutching desperately at her waist, Ryou nodded with a muffled sob.

He never noticed the way her right eye flashed red.

* * *

Please review!


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N:** Thanks again for all of the reviews, everyone. One of my reviewers brought a really good point I thought I would address, which is that Change of Heart is technically a magic card. This is true. However, I'm taking elements from both the anime and the manga, and when I made Amane the Change of Heart, I was thinking of that episode in the first season when Bakura traps everyone in a card, and Ryou becomes Change of Heart, which was treated more like a monster card. That was my influence and I'm sticking to it. Enjoy!

* * *

It was fortunate that they had sat down to rest before it happened. Malik had been wandering aimlessly for what felt like hours in a completely random direction before he grew too tired to move on. He'd ordered Miyamoto to sit down and was resting his head on his knees with the Rod right beside him, within easy distance if something went wrong, when he felt it. Emotions that did _not_ belong to him swarmed over him in a flood that made him rock backwards. Worry, fear, concern, an eagerness for a fight, the desire for violence, and tying all of the bewildering feelings together, a lust so strong that he was instantly hard made him gasp out loud. He panted for breath, trying to get himself under control, as the flood slowly began to reduce itself to a more manageable but never-ending trickle.

There was no question as to _who _those emotions belonged to. Only one person had ever been able to affect him like - that. The question was, why the hell could he feel Mariku's emotions? Hysteria loomed, threatening to become a very real concern in the face of everything that had happened, but he pushed it back, clamping down on the urge until he was able to breathe normally and think calmly. Once his pounding heart had slowed and he was able to sit without fidgeting uncomfortably, he closed his eyes and followed the steady stream to a place deep inside. Immense heat warmed him from the inside out as he probed that spot, and it came to him in a flash of understanding that Mariku was searching for him - probably, wasn't even that far away.

"What the fuck?" Malik muttered, troubled and unsteady. He ran shaking hands through his hair, trying to understand something that was utterly beyond his realm of experience. Mariku had briefly mentioned the "bond" that yami and hikari would share, but he had not gone into extensive detail. Yuugi and Ryou had spoken about it a little, always with a strange look on their faces, like there were no words to describe it, and the conversation had ended quickly. If what _they_ had felt was anything like what _he _was feeling, he could suddenly understand their desire to keep quiet on the subject. Feeling someone else's emotions was nothing short of utterly bizarre.

He looked over at Miyamoto, but she didn't even act like she had noticed his display. Surprisingly, having a mindless drone that was willing to obey your every will without question was not as enjoyable as one might think. Malik stared in complete frustration at the blank-eyed and motionless Miyamoto. If he had thought it was tempting before to chuck the Rod away, it was nothing compared to how he felt now that he'd spent time around her. He had just spent the past (hours? Days? Minutes?) period of time having to tell Miyamoto to do every. Little. Thing. More than once, she had walked into him when he stopped, or just stood there when he started on again. It would have been worth a punch to the face had she been doing it deliberately; knowing she was doing it because of the influence of the Rod's magic just made stone-cold fear settle deep into his stomach.

What had he done to her? Could it be repaired? Would he spend the rest of his life with a meaningless drone following him around because she couldn't be left to fend for herself? Malik shuddered at the thought and deliberately edged a bit further away from her. Miyamoto didn't even notice. He had to wonder what it was like for her in there. Was she conscious of what she was doing? Could she see what was going on? Was she fighting it? Hopefully not. His father had forced him to do... things... a few times in the past. Those memories were still strong enough to make him cringe, and he'd had some form of choice in them, even if the other option had been a brutal beating that generally left him semi-conscious. She didn't have a choice at all.

"Come on," he said at last, rubbing a hang across his face and looking at her wearily. The feelings from Mariku had slowed to the point where it was no longer overwhelming, and he knew that they wouldn't get anywhere if they just kept sitting there. "Stand up. Now let's keep walking, alright?" There was no answer, save for the fact that she obediently stood and her legs started moving again. Malik had no doubt in his mind that she would have kept walking until her legs gave out and she collapsed... and then, once she woke up, she probably would have continued on until... until what? He winced and tried not to think about it.

The Rod pulsed gently in his hand when he picked it up, sending a reassuring wave of warmth up his hand. He scowled down at it. "Stop trying to make me feel better. This is _all _your fault!"

"Talking to inanimate objects, Kitten?" A mocking voice asked from somewhere to his right. "They always used to tell me that was the first sign of insanity... If you're this cute when you're sane, I can't wait to see what you're like when you cross the line."

Malik looked up at the sky... or where he presumed the sky would be if the world of shadows wasn't just endless darkness. "Thank you," he breathed, shortly before he spun and literally hurtled himself into Mariku's arms. The yami stumbled back a step at the force of the impact. Shock gave way to joy when he realized what had just happened, which swiftly changed to pain when Malik hauled off and slapped him upside the head.

"Ow!" he exclaimed, sounding rather wounded. One hand released its rather possessive grip on Malik's shoulders to rub gingerly at the spot. "What was that for?"

"You know _damn well_ what that was for," Malik hissed, eyes blazing. He shifted back a step, but Mariku's grip kept him from moving too far. "Why the hell didn't you tell me that the Rod could do that to people?" As he spoke, he jabbed a finger in the direction of Miyamoto, who had stopped walking at Seto's command. The brunette was pacing a circle around the woman with a thoughtful look on his face.

"You've awakened one of the powers of the Millennium Rod, as Mariku thought," Seto observed, snapping his fingers in front of Miyamoto's face. "Pity I wasn't the one born with a connection to the Rod. If this is the result, I could have used it during some of my business meetings."

"It's not funny!" His voice came out higher and a touch more hysterical than he would have liked. "It's... it's horrible. She can't... do _anything_. Is she stuck like that?" He looked back at Mariku with imploring eyes. "You can turn her back to normal, right?"

Mariku reached out and ran a gentle hand through Malik's hair, then cupped the back of the boy's neck and drew him closer. He pressed Malik's face against his chest and rubbed a soothing circle on his back. "We can fix it," he said quietly, dropping his chin onto the blonde hair. Malik took a deep, shuddering breath as his yami spoke. "Calm yourself, Kitten. There's no need to get so out of sorts."

Seto looked at them and raised a curious eyebrow. Mariku had been dying for some of the Rod's powers to be awakened; he'd driven them all crazy for weeks with his often violent dreams of what he could do with the power to control people's minds. Yet it seemed like the yami wouldn't be able to run crazy after all, not with the hold his hikari currently held over him. For not the first time, he thought that Malik might actually be good for Mariku. Certainly, Seto would never have thought that Mariku would be capable of that level of gentleness, but watching him gently rub Malik's back in an entirely non-sexual way was enlightening. Perhaps there was hope for the psychotic yami yet.

"But do you think we could have some fun with her first?"

Or maybe not.

"Fun? What? _No_!" Malik lifted his head, seemingly now more in control, and shot Mariku a scowl. "That's not even funny, yami. I want to know how to turn her back to normal and I want to know _now_."

"Ooh, so dominating," Mariku purred with a wink. "I _love_ it when my partners issue me a challenge."

Malik glared at him. It was an easy way to hide the relief and gratitude that might have otherwise been shining in his eyes. With Mariku around, he felt a lot more stabilized, like the world had the ability to make sense again even though it had already spun off its axis. Although the older boy was clearly a few cards short of a full deck, he was still something stable to hold onto, and Malik desperately needed that. It was why he didn't really take (much) offence to Mariku's words. He could tell that Mariku was just trying to ground him in reality, and while hitting on him was an annoying way of doing so, he appreciated the effort and didn't move away when Mariku's hand, which had been wrapped around his waist, purposely dropped a bit lower.

"Well?" he demanded instead. "What do I do?"

"I don't know. I've never controlled anyone's mind before," Mariku said honestly. "Even back in Egypt, the Rod never worked the way it was supposed to." Sensing that Malik was about to lose it again, he purposely squeezed one of the globes of flesh beneath his palm to distract his hikari and added, "But if I were you, I'd try touching her with the Millennium Rod and commanding her to return to the way she was."

Looking rather unconvinced, Malik absently slapped at his hand and turned towards Miyamoto. Seto gently steered the woman a bit close to the two blonds. He reached out, touched the Millennium Rod to her arm, and said, "I order you to - err - wake up."

Miyamoto blinked heavily. Awareness returned to her eyes, and she looked around in bewilderment for a moment, her gaze moving from Seto to Malik to Mariku before locking onto the Millennium Rod. Instantly, she frowned. "That's right. I was explaining to you that we do not allow weapons in this school. Give that to me!" She grabbed the end of the Rod and tried to pull it from Malik's grasp. He stumbled, caught off guard by her move, and was saved from falling when Mariku's hand tightened around his waist. At the same time, the yami grabbed Miyamoto's wrist with his free hand and squeezed, dark eyes flashing. The woman gasped in pain and quickly released the Rod, but Mariku refused to let go.

"Do not touch my hikari," he stated coldly. His fingers were clamped so tightly around her wrist that her bones creaked. "Do you understand me?"

"U-Unhand me," Miyamoto stuttered. She was clearly trying to cover up the fact that she was afraid, but she was doing a poor job of it. "You can't do this to me!" As she spoke, Seto, who was still standing behind her, lifted a hand up behind her head. His lips moved in a quiet incantation before he brushed her hair lightly with the pads of his fingers. Instantly, she dropped, crumbling into a small heap on the ground. Mariku threw her arm down like she was diseased and huffed, yanking Malik into a full back-to-chest hug.

"You want to save the life of_ that_?" he scoffed, clinging possessively and resting his chin on Malik's shoulder. "_Why_?"

Malik didn't say anything for a moment. There was a weird expression on his face as he stared over his shoulder at Mariku in silence. All he could think about was that moment when he'd believed that Miyamoto was going to slap him, and he'd wished, more than anything, that Mariku would have been there to help him. And now, the yami was. It was... disorienting, for lack of a better word. Isis had always been the only one in the world who had taken care of him; not even Yuugi or Ryou were capable of doing that, much as he loved them. What did it mean? The question hung heavily in his mind as he blinked, realizing that Mariku was giving him an odd look, and shook his head to get rid of those thoughts.

"What?" he asked, having completely missed the question.

Mariku and Seto exchanged looks. "Nothing," Mariku said finally, dropping his arms and allowing Malik to step away. "Seto, which direction is your pup in?"

Blue eyes gazing off into the distance, Seto pointed. "That way. I can feel that his magic is working. I think he's met with trouble." His jaw tightened slightly, and Malik pitied whatever creature was giving Jou trouble when Seto met up with them. "But I believe he's headed in this direction - or at least, he was. If we start walking, we should be able to meet up with them in about half an hour or so."

"Them?" Mariku repeated.

"You'll see," Seto replied simply, starting off.

"What about her?" Malik twisted to glance at Miyamoto, who was still slumbering on the ground. Actually, she had begun to snore, and there was a small bit of drool leaking down one corner of her chin.

"She'll be fine," said Mariku, eyes gleaming with suppressed desire. "Leave her there. No one will bother her." Before Malik could question him any further, he wrapped an arm around Malik's shoulders and gently but firmly ushered him along. He was all too happy to leave the defenceless Miyamoto sprawled on the ground behind them, and he could only hope that some hungry Duel Monster would stumble onto her body and get rid of the problem for them. What his hikari didn't know wouldn't hurt him.

**GMA**

Ryou's presence in Bakura's mind was not unlike those old television shows that used to have the "good angel, bad angel" gag. It was like the one spot of warmth in an otherwise frozen landscape, a burning sensation that he couldn't get rid of no matter what he'd tried. He was always conscious of Ryou's presence, and it had been that way since the moment that the two of them had met. It had only increased when Ryou received the Ring, and grown stronger yet again when Ryou had kissed him, willingly, for the very first time. The very few times he had dipped into the power of the Millennium Ring, or felt Ryou using it, that spot had blazed, making him feel warm all over. He wasn't quite sure how he felt about that, but it was one of those things he had accepted and then proceeded to ignore, for the most part.

After all, they weren't like the Pharaoh and his shrimp, or even like Mariku and Malik. Ryou was a _possession_ and nothing more; he belonged to Bakura because they were yami and hikari, and that was just the way it was. He had no interest in 'love' or 'affection' or any of those foolish emotions that the others seemed so enamoured with. If Ryou wanted to 'fall in love' with him, that was entirely the hikari's business. Foolish on his part, but none of Bakura's concern. Bakura was wholly convinced that he wanted nothing more to do with Ryou than being able to use the power of the Millennium Ring, and the fact that the boy had formed an attachment to him really didn't matter.

He was convinced right up until he saw Ryou clinging to the arm of a Duel Monster.

After that, not so much.

"Did you just _growl_?" Yami asked, sounding entirely too amused for Bakura's taste.

"Fuck off, Pharaoh," Bakura hissed. By that point, their bond had warned Ryou of their presence, and he looked up and spotted the two of them. His face lit up, but much to Bakura's annoyance, he didn't stop clinging to the arm of the girl beside him. She, in fact, had the nerve to glance over at Bakura and then very pointedly wrap an arm around Ryou's shoulders.

"Ryou, I'm not sure we should stop to talk with just anyone," she said. "This is a very dangerous place, especially for someone like you. You never know when someone in the Shadow Realm could turn out to be just an illusion."

"I assure you I'm no fucking illusion. And just who _are _you, anyway?" Bakura asked, voice clipped. He steadily ignored Yami's knowing look and threw in a glare for good measure.

"This is my sister, Amane," Ryou said, sounding almost reverent. There was joy bubbling over in every word that he spoke. It was amazingly annoying. "She's a Duel Monster," he added unnecessarily, squeezing her arm tightly. "Nee-chan, this is Bakura and Yami. They're my friends, and they're definitely not illusions. I can feel it." A smile that bordered on genuine amusement tugged at his lips as Amane sighed.

"It's nice to meet you," she stated flatly.

Yami frowned slightly and shifted his weight, but said nothing. It was out of character for the normally polite boy, and Bakura glanced at him, easily recognizing the subtle sign of distrust and wariness. That, plus the fact that Ryou had introduced him as a 'friend', was enough to put him even more on edge than he'd been before. Something about this Duel Monster didn't feel right. He'd seen partner monsters before - hell, he had his own, as all shadow magic users did - and it wasn't necessarily uncommon for those with shadow magic to take up the role of partner for their loved ones after their death. But Change of Heart was an odd monster to have as a partner, particularly for someone as sweet and gentle as Ryou.

"We have to go," he said at last, deciding to ignore her dismissive attitude for the time being. When Ryou didn't seem inclined to listen, he continued, "Yuugi is missing."

Ryou's head snapped around. "What?" He dropped Amane's arm and took several steps closer to them, looking worried. "What do you mean, he's missing? Yami-san, don't you know where he is?"

"Our bond isn't working," Yami answered, darting a mild glare at Bakura for dropping the news on Ryou so harshly. "I was hoping that you could use the Ring to find him."

"The Ring?" Ryou touched the item uncertainly.

"One of the powers the Millennium Ring possesses is the ability to locate the other Millennium Items," Bakura explained shortly. "Come here. I'll show you how to use it." He experienced a burst of satisfaction as Ryou moved over beside him. It must have leaked down their bond, because Ryou looked at him sharply as Amane stiffened noticeably, her jaw tightening. Bakura ignored her as he reached out and placed a hand over Ryou's. Closing his eyes, he sought out that shining heat and fell through it, seeking out the magic of the Millennium Ring. Ryou gasped softly and melted against him at the feeling, causing Bakura's free arm to wrap unconsciously around the boy's waist to keep him standing.

The Ring began to glow softly against Ryou's chest, and Bakura could feel the strengthening of their bond as they manipulated the magic together, both of their thoughts on the Puzzle and the small hikari that wielded it. Part of him shied away from Ryou's touch, but strangely enough, another part of him that he had believed long dead welcomed it. Ryou's free hand tightened his shirt as slowly, the cones hanging from the main circle of the Ring rose and pointed to the left.

As the pull of the magic began to die away, Bakura opened his eyes and found himself staring into beautiful brown eyes that were surprisingly close. His senses were blazing with the borrowed power from the Ring, and he could tell that Yami, understanding how intimate the usage of the Items were, had turned away to give them privacy. Amane, however, was staring straight at them with an odd look in her eyes. He didn't care. For quite possibly the first time in his life, he wanted to do something just for the sake of doing it. No ulterior motives. He just wanted to kiss Ryou more than anything else.

So he did.

With a quiet moan that was mostly muffled, Ryou twisted and pressed himself more fully against Bakura. The Ring dug into the yami's chest as he clutched Ryou's shoulders, but he enjoyed the pain and tugged the younger boy even closer as a result. Their kiss swiftly became passionate as Ryou willingly parted his lips, allowing Bakura's tongue to sweep into his mouth and explore to his heart's content. His hands trailed up Bakura's back and tangled into the silvery white locks, tugging gently at first, and then with more strength when Bakura gave a low growl of approval. His own hands were equally busy tugging Ryou's neatly pressed shirt out of his pants and stroking his hikari's flat stomach and slightly curved hips, mapping out his territory for the first time.

Amane screamed.

Like a bolt of lightening had struck, the two of them jerked away from each other. Ryou was gasping; his cheeks flushed bright red with embarrassment when he realized that Yami and Amane had been present for their little display. He quickly began patting his mussed hair and straightening out his clothing. Bakura just glared, not caring at all about the fact that the two of them had been nearby. Yami had turned when Amane yelled and was now searching the Shadows with intent eyes, looking for the cause of her distress. Amane looked off into the distance and pointed at what appeared to be nothing more than endless darkness.

"I saw something!" she exclaimed, sounding terrified. "I thought – Oh, Ryou, you'd best come close so I can protect you."

A weak, puzzled smile crossed Ryou's face as he squinted in the direction she was gesturing to. "I don't see anything," he said doubtfully, not making any move to step closer to her. He leaned against Bakura's arm instead, and a wave of contentment and safety flooded through the bond. Ryou felt safer with him, Bakura realized. It was immensely satisfying to watch the pissed look that came over Amane's face, though she did a good job of hiding it quickly.

"Really? I could have sworn I sensed a creature." Amane laughed weakly and tossed her hair over her shoulder. "Well, anyway, let's go search for your little friends. You never know what could happen to them in a place like this. They might even be in the graveyard by now."

"Yuugi and Malik are very capable," Bakura said. His comment was designed to comfort both Yami and Ryou, though he wasn't sure that it had the intended effect.

She scowled ever so slightly. "I'm sure they are, but the Shadow Realm is a dangerous place, you know." Her patronizing tone made Bakura want to pull out his knife.

"You're right, we should go," Ryou said, interrupting the two of them before a fight could break out. He darted a quick glance at Bakura and then looked away as the blush painting his cheeks grew a little darker. "Um... the Millennium Ring says to go that way."

He started walking in the direction that Ring was pointing in. Yami and Bakura fell into step on either side of him automatically, protecting the hikari from anything that might try to attack them unexpectedly. Amane was left to catch up with them. Bakura smirked to himself, pleased when he glanced over his shoulder and saw the pissed expression that she couldn't quite mask. Ryou might have been willing to accept her explanation that she was his partner monster, but Bakura wasn't buying it. The Ring would have reacted to Amane's presence if that had been the case, and he hadn't sensed anything towards her. So she was lying about one thing, at least, and he knew from personal experience that people who were willing to lie about one thing were usually willing to lie about other things.

The question was, did she pose a threat to Ryou? Her presence had protected him so far from the denizens of the Shadow Realm; many of them would have hesitated to attack Ryou with a Duel Monster around, regardless of whether Change of Heart couldn't technically attack. Sometimes, magic cards were even more dangerous than monster cards, and any Duel Monster worth their salt would know that. Amane was clearly unimpressed that Bakura was around, but was that because he and Yami were interfering with her plans or because she was naturally possessive of her little brother, the way that any older sister would be?

A small hand touched Bakura's. Ryou shyly intertwined their fingers and whispered, "Stop thinking so hard, yami. You're giving me a headache."

"Can you..._ hear_ me?" Bakura asked, vaguely alarmed by the thought. That stage of their bond shouldn't have been able to occur until he and Ryou became one on all levels, but you could never fully trust magic to work the way it was supposed to.

Ryou shot him a puzzled look. "Hear you? No, of course not. I can feel the tension running through the bond. I don't know how you put up with it; my shoulders are knotting up and it's not even mine."

Bakura smirked slightly at that. "You get used to it." Tension had always been the least of his concerns. He'd gotten used to living with a high amount of stress from a young age; it was practically a given considering what his life had been like. It was just one more way that he and Ryou were completely different. Sometimes it was jarring to realize that someone who was his literal opposite was supposed to compliment him in every way.

"Maybe," was all Ryou said, though there was a thoughtful look in his brown eyes as he glanced back down at the Ring. The direction of the cones had changed slightly. He started to turn and then stopped, frowning with bewilderment, as the cones started to tremble. "What's going on?"

"Bakura?" Yami asked, staring at the Ring.

"I don't know." Bakura started to reach out, but he never got the chance. Before he could touch it, the Ring shuddered and then all of the cones went limp, falling back down against Ryou's chest. Frowning, the darkness absently tightened his hold on Ryou's hand and mentally thrust forward into that blaze. That time, he forcibly dragged himself away from the desire to bask in Ryou's presence and instead turned his attention immediately to the Millennium Ring. It pulsed sluggishly in response when he prompted it, but when he tried to press the idea of the Millennium Puzzle into it, the Ring resisted in a way that it had never done before, not in this life or the last. Bakura wore a puzzled frown as he pulled free, disregarding the urge to grab Ryou and kiss the younger boy silly. There was worry in Ryou's big brown eyes and Bakura was entirely afraid that his own face showed the same thing when he looked at Yami.

"The Millennium Ring can't sense the Puzzle," he said heavily. "Something has definitely gone wrong."

**GMA**

Flying by dragon was truly the only way to go, Yuugi decided. He was sitting behind Jou and Shizuka and beside Mokuba, just about on level with the wings of the Red Eyes Black Dragon. They were travelling at an amazing speed, and he was fairly sure that if they'd been in the real world, they could have easily gone from one side of Japan to the other by now. Jou had explained that when people were transported into the Shadow Realm, they didn't always end up as close as they had been in the real world, though he wasn't sure why. At least that explained why it was taking so long for them to find the source of magic that was drawing Red Eyes Black Dragon. It was also making him extremely glad that they didn't have to walk, because the journey probably would have taken hours.

Periodically during the flight, he closed his eyes and tried to reach out to Yami. The effect was akin to walking down the road and suddenly slamming straight into a brick wall. There was nothing of Yami in his mind or soul; the bond that he shared with the reincarnated Pharaoh had been completely cut off, and the resulting effect was a lingering, heavy sense of loneliness that forced him to fight back tears every time it washed over him. Yami had _promised_. He'd_ promised_ that he wouldn't leave Yuugi alone! But now... Yuugi shuddered and wrapped his arms around his body, pointedly turning his face away from the others so that they wouldn't see the tears he couldn't quite hold back. Even though he'd known that he was growing dependant on Yami's presence, he hadn't realized that he was falling so hard so fast, and that was a frightening thing to realize.

"Are you alright, Yuugi?" Jou asked, craning his neck to look over his shoulder. He'd caught the abject misery that had passed over Yuugi's face, and his heart went out to his small friend. "Don't worry. I'm sure Yami's fine. I think we're getting closer."

If he spoke he would probably burst into tears, so Yuugi contented himself with a tight, silent nod. The Shadow Realm was a cold, disturbing place, and sometimes he thought he have sworn that the shadows were actually reaching out to him. It was better when he was in the presence of the others, particularly Jou, but he didn't like it. He was beginning to see why Mokuba and Shizuka had fought so hard against him entering. This place... it wanted something from him, and although he didn't know what that something was, he was not inclined to share. All he wanted was to find Yami and the rest of their friends and get the hell out of there before anything else went wrong.

Famous last words.

Red Eyes Black Dragon gave an agonized shriek of pain as a huge blast of magic came out of no where and impacted with her side. Her wings thrashed weakly, struggling to keep them airborne, but it was obvious that she'd taken a lot of damage. Jou cried out at the same time and clutched at his side as the dragon began to fall towards the ground. They hit hard, sending all four of them flying from her back. Yuugi went rolling head over heels across the ground and finally sprawled to a stop a few feet away from Shizuka, who wasn't moving. Slowly, holding his head in pain, he sat up and looked around, wondering who or what could have caused an attack that had been strong enough to bring Red Eyes Black Dragon to the ground.

The first thing he saw was Anzu. She was looking at them with rage and fury in her big blue eyes. Yuugi's heart began to pound faster when he saw who was standing beside her. Maiden of the Moonlight flashed him a smug smile and said, "Surprise. Bet you thought I'd given up? Or that you two were strong enough to have gotten rid of my spell? Well, guess again, little hikari. I've come back for round two... and this time, your precious yami isn't around to protect you."

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Please review! And if you're desperate for more tendershipping, I posted a cute little one-shot this week that you can go check out.


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N:** Thanks for all of the reviews, guy. You were all so concerned about Yuugi. It was adorable. A couple of you mentioned some concerns about Anzu - never fear. I strive hard for originality, which should be obvious by now. I thought for a long time about how to end this chapter, because there was something I really wanted to work in, and I didn't know if I'd be able to or not. Fortunately, it turned out that I was, and I quite like how this chapter came out in the end. And oh my GOD... I swear the crash yesterday/last night just about killed me. Of all the days for it to happen on, it would be the day I update! Finally, enjoy!

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Jou's back was on fire. That was the only word for it. He gritted his teeth, struggling not to cry out, as he slowly and painfully hauled himself into a seated position. His side was also throbbing with pain, and he knew that it meant that Red Eyes Black Dragon had taken quite the blow, but there was no time to worry about that now. Not when Yuugi was facing both Anzu _and_ a Duel Monster that he didn't recognize with no source of protection. It took a great deal of effort, but he finally managed to get his feet under him and stood up slowly. By the time he glanced up, he realized that someone quite familiar was standing in front of him. Relief shot through him and he managed a smile.

"Hey, Honda. Glad you're here," he said weakly. "You've gotta - " Even though he'd been ignoring Honda for the past few days, he still wasn't expecting the blow to the stomach that sent him right back down to his knees. Jou gasped unsuccessfully for breath and doubled over, torn between curling up protectively around his aching midsection and maintaining a straight posture for the sake of his poor back. It was a cruel place to be caught between. "What the fuck, man?"

Honda said nothing in response, and when Jou lifted his head and peered up at him, he understood why. His friend's usually warm brown eyes were filled with a strange mixture of rage and guilt. He would lift a hand and then drop it, take a step forward like he was going to kick Jou and then stop. Jou's eyes flickered over to Anzu and the Duel Monster beside her, and then he understood. Both Anzu and Honda, and probably Otogi, were under some sort of spell. Anzu appeared to have fallen victim to it entirely, but Honda was still fighting. It took everything Jou had to get to his feet a second time, and by the time he was actually standing, his body was screaming for surrender. Ignoring it, he reached out and clapped a hand on Honda's shoulder.

"Fight it, Honda," he breathed, leaning more heavily on the brunette than he wanted to admit. "You're stronger than she is, I'm telling you. Use your shadow magic and fight back!"

"Like it would really be that easy?" the Duel Monster called out. Now that she had turned towards them, Jou recognized her and felt his blood run cold in response. The last time they had met, Maiden of the Moonlight had given Seto a run for his money. She was no normal Duel Monster; Pegasus had supplied her with dozens of magic cards that boosted her strength and power to the point where even Seto had been forced to flee as opposed to continuing the fight. "You might as well give up, Puppy. Your friends are entirely under _my_ control, and soon, I'll have one more under my grasp."

Jou glanced past her towards Yuugi and Shizuka. His little sister was sprawled on the ground unconscious, but Yuugi was awake, though he was down on his hands and knees, body clearly trembling with effort. Something gleamed on his forehead - a crescent moon mark. He swore under his breath and started to stagger forward, but Maiden of the Moonlight gave a mocking laugh and Honda's arm instantly snapped out to stop him. It was like running into a brick wall and Jou cringed again, groaning. There was no conscious decision made to fall to his knees, but somehow it happened anyway. His body was refusing to support him anymore; he'd reached the point of being unable to continue before the battle had even begun, and it burned.

His eyes fluttered closed briefly, and he mentally reached out towards his lover, pleading for help. A touch, faint but real, brushed across his forehead, and Seto's strength flooded his veins. In the distance, an animalistic roar echoed through the air, and Red Eyes Black Dragon keened softly as her mate arrived. Maiden of the Moonlight jerked backwards, her expression becoming one of utter panic as the Blue Eyes White Dragon swung around in her direction and hissed threateningly. Dragons were naturally intelligent, and it had only taken Blue Eyes White Dragon about two seconds to sum up the situation. Both her mate and her partner's mate and brother were in danger, and that was enough.

Seeing that Maiden of the Moonlight was sufficiently distracted, Jou crawled around Honda and over to Yuugi. His small friend was bent double, one hand clasped tightly against his chest. The other hand was fumbling with the Millennium Puzzle, trying to take it off as his violet eyes went hazy and distant. Jou panicked and grabbed Yuugi's hands, forcing him to stop. He was unprepared for Yuugi to jerk his hand free with surprising strength and strike out at him. Fortunately, controlled or not, Yuugi was still had crap aim, and he dodged the blow easily. One quick sweep of his ankle and the smaller boy was flat on his back with Jou leaning over him, easily pinning him to the ground.

"Stop it!" he yelled in Yuugi's face, struggling to keep his thrashing friend down. "Yuugi, I don't know what she's doing to you, but you have to fight this!" Even as he spoke, he knew that his words were useless. It had taken Yami to stop Maiden of the Moonlight before, and only Yami would be able to break through her spell and reach Yuugi this time. But Yami was no where to be seen, and from the feel of it, help was still a ways off. Jou could have wept from frustration.

"It hurts!" Yuugi cried, sounding like a child. His violet eyes were a little more focused, but he looked at Jou like he didn't even recognize one of his oldest friends. "Let go of me. I must give her the Puzzle. Then it will stop!"

"She's lying to you," Jou retorted, refusing to let go. "Once she has what she wants, she'll kill you, and Yami, too. Don't you care about Yami?" At the mention of Yami's name, Yuugi's struggles stopped. He blinked heavily, and more awareness returned to his eyes. Encouraged, Jou pushed on. "Yami's coming for you, Yuugi. You're his partner, his light, and he cares about you more than anything else in the world. What would he think if he found out that you had abandoned him and fallen into Maiden of the Moonlight's spell? You've gotta fight this, Yuugi, no matter how much it hurts."

"Jou... Oh God..." Gasping sharply for breath, Yuugi curled in on himself as much as he could, his hands clutching the Millennium Puzzle. "Where is... I want... I want Yami..."

"He's coming," Jou said, feeling utterly useless as Yuugi suffered. There was nothing he could do. It was exciting enough that he had been able to summon his partner monster; that was more than he had ever expected to be able to do. Seto had certainly never taught him how to summon more than one monster at a time. Blue Eyes White Dragon was doing an excellent job of keeping Maiden of the Moonlight busy, but that didn't account for - he swallowed hard - Anzu. Mokuba was busy dealing with Otogi, Shizuka hadn't stirred, and Honda was still staring off into space, which left Anzu free to approach the two of them.

Now, Jou didn't know Anzu very well anymore. The three of them - Yuugi, Anzu, and himself - had been friends in elementary school, but then Anzu had drifted away from them to join a group of girls that were more her style, and Yuugi had met Malik and Ryou, and Jou's whole life had changed after he met Seto. But he could remember that Anzu had been fiercely loyal to those she deemed worthy - and had the somewhat unfortunate tendency to be a little vicious to those she thought weren't. He still recalled with vivid clarity the day that he and Honda had tried to look up her skirt, and she'd sent them both home with a couple of good-sized welts that had hurt more than his pop's beating that night.

"A-Anzu," he began nervously, tensing unconsciously. Sensing his distress, Red Eyes Black Dragon started trying to get up onto her feet, but she was stopped by a little... _thing_ that bounced off of her wounded wing and sent the dragon crashed back down to the ground, roaring in pain. Jou blinked as his side flared in pain and stared at the rather odd sight of the bright red Duel Monster. It was about half the height of Anzu, and looked kind of like a little woman with black bat wings and crazy red-and-blue hair, wearing a small red-and-black dress. "What... is that?" He didn't even realize that he'd spoken out loud until Anzu answered him.

"That's my partner monster. Fairy's Gift," Anzu said, stopping a couple of feet away from him.

"Fairy's Gift?" Jou echoed with a disbelieving expression. "That's not Fairy's Gift."

"No, it's not," she agreed, a smile that could only be described as cruel lingering around the edges of her mouth. Her eyes flashed crimson. "I suppose it's only right to call her by her other name, now. Witch's Curse."

_Shit_. His stomach tightened with fear, though he made an effort not to show it on his face. Witch's Curse was a rarely known Duel Monster, the direct opposite of Fairy's Gift. If Fairy's Gift was a butterfly, Witch's Curse was a devil. He couldn't believe a girl like Anzu would have Witch's Curse for a partner. Fairy's Gift was much better suited to her. What the hell was going on? There were so many things that didn't add up. "Anzu, this isn't you," he tried, getting up onto one knee. Yuugi had mercifully fallen silent, though he could still feel the tremors wracking his friend's body. "Please. Stop this nonsense."

"Oh, please." Resting one hand on her hip, Anzu scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Don't act like you know me, Jou. We haven't even really spoken to each other since elementary school, and even then, you were only friends with me because of Yuugi. The only time you've actually talked to me was when you told me to back off of Yami. Did you even bother to ask why I was around him? Did you even care?" She glared at him, crimson slowly bleeding into the clear blue. "No, of course not. You never even asked whether I knew about the hikaris or not. You just _assumed_ I was some stupid little schoolgirl who couldn't possibly be in love with the Pharaoh. Well, I guess you had to find out the truth at some point. You know, I've always heard that the truth hurts." She took another step forward. "Why don't _you _tell _me_?"

He had a split second to absorb that Witch's Curse was looming over him, face twisted in glee, before he turned and threw himself over Yuugi's body. Jou was prepared for a pain that never came. Red Eyes Black Dragon gave an enraged shriek and lashed out with her tail, knocking Witch's Curse into the air before the Duel Monster had a chance to launch her attack. Anzu staggered, off balance and clearly surprised by the unexpected retaliation. She turned a blazing glower onto the Red Eyes Black Dragon.

"You stupid little bitch," she hissed. "Witch's Curse, finish it off!"

"No!" Jou shouted before he could stop himself. "Red Eyes Black Dragon! Anzu, please, stop this. I'm sorry I didn't realize you were in love with Yami. I should have been more considerate towards your feelings. I get that. But you're going about this all wrong. Why are you siding with _her_?"

"I guess you could say Maiden of the Moonlight made me see the light," she said softly, taking another step forward. Now that she was close enough, Jou swore under his breath when he saw the shining crescent moon mark that had lit up on her collarbone. Instantly, his suspicions were confirmed. Anzu, Honda, Otogi - all of them had fallen under the spell of Maiden of the Moonlight and, Anzu didn't even seem realize it. No wonder her partner had changed from Fairy's Gift to Witch's Curse; her mind had been warped with hatred and rage.

"She's controlling you!" he exclaimed, but before he could say anything else, Maiden of the Moonlight took the fight with Blue Eyes White Dragon in their direction. The dragon stopped at the very last second, holding back an attack when she saw that it would put Jou and Yuugi in danger. Maiden of the Moonlight seized her opportunity and dove towards them, but then, suddenly, Shizuka was there. She stood in front of her brother and Yuugi and Maiden of the Moonlight with a determined expression.

"Back off, Maiden of the Moonlight," she warned, holding one hand up. "You'll regret it if you push this fight."

"Guardians," Maiden of the Moonlight said dismissively, dodging a blast from Blue Eyes White Dragon like it was nothing. It hit the ground a few feet from Jou and he flinched. "You all think you're so strong and brave, but you're really just a pain in my neck. You, my dear, should have stayed unconscious."

"And let you have free reign in trying to destroy the Pharaoh's hikari? I don't think so." Shizuka closed her eyes and clenched her hand against her chest. Shadow magic burned around her fist. Jou's jaw dropped as the shadows shifted beside her and formed into a large violet seashell. Slowly, the shell parted, revealing a beautiful girl with long, turquoise hair and pale skin who drew forth a bow and arrow. In the blink of an eye, she shot an arrow off towards Maiden of the Moonlight before the shell snapped shut again.

Maiden of the Moonlight swore loudly as she staggered backwards, caught off guard by the unexpected attack. "You little bitch!" she seethed, enraged.

"Red Archery Girl, protect my brother and Yuugi!" Shizuka ordered, a grim smile playing about her lips. "Don't let Maiden of the Moonlight get near them. Blue Eyes White Dragon, you have to get her out of here. We can't let her get near Yuugi! Red Eyes – argh!" Whatever else she had been about to say was cut off when Honda appeared behind her and grabbed her. Whatever guilt he'd been feeling had apparently disappeared. Otogi stepped up beside him moments later, clutching Mokuba's shirt with one hand. He had the younger boy's arm pinned behind his back with the other. Mokuba squirmed in an effort to get free and then winced when more force was applied to his trapped arm.

"Let go of her!" Jou yelled, realizing that things were rapidly spiralling out of control. Shizuka and Mokuba had been captured. Red Eyes Black Dragon had been wounded. Blue Eyes White Dragon was beginning to grow fatigued; without Seto's presence, the Duel Monster wasn't at full power. He was incapable of doing much beyond sitting on the ground, and Yuugi was still unconscious to the world, with only the occasional shiver wracking his body to prove he was even still alive.

"Hold her," Maiden of the Moonlight commanded. "Do not let her escape, do you understand me?" Honda hesitated briefly, his eyes flickering between the Duel Monster and his best friend. Something shone on his cheek – a crescent moon mark – and then his gaze went flat and glassy, like Honda had stepped out and a stranger had taken his place. "Yes Master."

"And just like that, the battle is over with." Maiden of the Moonlight smirked broadly, pleased with herself as Anzu and Witch's Curse took over battling Blue Eyes White Dragon. She looked over at Yuugi and Jou. Red Archery Girl's shell still hovered between them, but Maiden of the Moonlight didn't look concerned. "You know, if you hand him over to me, I'll set your friends free," she said pleasantly. "They won't even have any residual effects from my spell. All you have to do is let him go with me."

"Fuck you," he said coldly, wrapping an arm around Yuugi's shoulders protectively. There was no way he was letting her take Yuugi.

"If you don't, I'll every one of you and take him anyway."

"No. Jou, let go." Yuugi's voice sounded weak, but firm. With great effort, he raised his head and pushed Jou's arm away. "I won't let you... hurt my friends. I'll go with you as long as you swear that you'll leave them alone."

Maiden of the Moonlight smiled. "You have my word that I won't hurt them," she said.

"Yuugi, I won't let you do this!" Jou said, grabbing Yuugi's arm again. "This is _crazy_." He didn't even want to think about what Yami would do if the older boy found out that Jou had allowed his hikari to go with Maiden of the Moonlight. "Please, you gotta know that she's lying. There's no way that she's going to follow through on what she's saying. Don't do this. We can hold out until help comes!"

Yuugi shook his head slowly and, again, pushed Jou away. His arms trembled with fatigue as he braced himself against the ground and pushed himself to his feet. He staggered once or twice as he hobbled over to Maiden of the Moonlight, but he managed to stay standing. Jou started to lurch forward, but Maiden of the Moonlight extended her hand, and almost instantly, he froze in place. A heavy feeling came over his body, like he hadn't slept in weeks, washing away the pain and fear. All he wanted to do was put his head down on the floor and sleep. His limbs folded under his weight and he landed hard on his knees, the rest of his body slipping to the ground quickly. As Yuugi put his hand into Maiden of the Moonlight's, the world went dark around him.

**GMA**

With the fact that the Ring could no longer sense the Puzzle hanging over them, Ryou, Bakura and Yami (and Amane, tagging along behind the three of them with a pout on her face) set out on the only other course available to them: tracking down the Millennium Rod. It didn't take them long to find the other three members of their group, and Ryou couldn't help the relieved sigh that escaped him when he saw that Malik, Mariku, and Seto were alright. Granted, Malik looked rather tense and worried, and Mariku was - for once - not trying to grope his hikari, and Seto was practically vibrating with rage, but other than that, they were in one piece, though he couldn't say that his feelings were reciprocated. In fact, Seto barely stopped to acknowledge their presence. He stalked by the four of them and stormed off in a completely different direction than either group had been walking in.

"Where is he going?" Ryou asked, watching Seto's rapidly fading figure.

"He's following his link to Jou," Mariku explained shortly never once loosening his grip on Malik's hand. "He thinks that something has gone wrong."

Hearing that caused new fear to spark in Ryou's heart. He chewed his lip nervously as Yami spun and took off after Seto, no doubt in the hope that where Jou was, Yuugi would be as well. The rest of them caught up to the reincarnated Pharaoh and High Priest in no time, and before long, they saw what had been drawing Seto. Ryou bit back a gasp as he took the scene in. Jou, Anzu, Honda, Otogi, Shizuka, Mokuba, and a few Duel Monsters he didn't recognize were all lying on the ground unconscious. Red Eyes Black Dragon stirred at their presence but failed to awaken, while Blue Eyes White Dragon - the only one who had managed to stay awake - keened mournfully from where she stood guard.

"Jou!" Seto sprinted over to his lover and fell to his knees beside the blonde. He lifted Jou with careful hands and cradled his body, closing his eyes. Ryou felt the resulting pulse of magic and couldn't quite hold back the resulting shiver that crawled over his skin at the desolate expression on Seto's face.

"How is he, Seto?" Yami inquired quietly, crimson eyes sweeping over the scene. It wasn't until Yami spoke that Ryou realized that Yuugi was nowhere to be seen.

"His power is weak. Sustaining Red Eyes Black Dragon for the first time has taken nearly all he had," Seto answered, placing a hand on Jou's forehead. He breathed a word in a language Ryou didn't recognize. Red Eyes Black Dragon's eyes snapped open, and she threw her head back and keened loudly before vanishing. Jou stirred but didn't wake up.

Anzu, however, chose that moment to groan. Her eyes fluttered open to reveal one highly pissed Pharaoh, and she shrank back. "Y-Yami-san," she squeaked.

"Where is he?" he demanded, reaching down to seize the collar of her shirt in a tight grip. Ryou tensed, wondering if he should intervene, but Bakura's hand came down on his shoulder and prevented him from doing anything. Mariku was scowling and Malik looked grim. It was clear that the three of them had sensed something that he hadn't, but what? He got his answer quickly.

"What do you mean, where's_ who_?" Anzu said, sounding confused.

"Yuugi! Where is Yuugi?" Yami practically yelled. "I can sense the imprint of her magic on you. Maiden of the Moonlight - where did she take him?"

"I don't know! I don't remember." She yelped when Yami released her shirt so quickly that she fell backwards. The Duel Monster beside her - a little green woman with butterfly wings - twitched a bit when Anzu landed. "I can't - all I remember is walking into the Shadow Realm with Honda and Otogi. We were coming to find out what was going on. Then…" Her voice trailed off, and she lifted a shaking hand to her collarbone, rubbing the skin gingerly. "I'm sorry. I don't know what happened after that."

Pure frustration mixed with anguish flashed across Yami's face as he straightened. Ryou wanted to say something comforting, but he never got the chance. The shadows behind Yami shifted, or _moved_ in some way, and the next thing he knew, Mariku had darted forward and shoved Yami out of the way of a blast of magic that very nearly fried Anzu to a crisp. She jerked away at the last second with a muffled shriek that woke the butterfly Duel Monster at her side, but the creature seemed dazed and disoriented, and didn't offer much in the way of protection when another blast of magic narrowly missed Yami, Mariku, and Anzu. By that point, the perpetrator of the attacks had been revealed.

"Are you missing something, Pharaoh?" she practically purred, her eyes glittering with malice. Ryou's heart twisted and sank at the sight of the Millennium Puzzle. Maiden of the Moonlight was cradling it between her hands like it was made from spun glass, and there was no sign of Yuugi. What had she done to him?

"Where is he? Return him at once!" Yami commanded, rage burning in his eyes. The aura of strength and power that he was giving off was almost frightening, but Maiden of the Moonlight didn't seem bothered.

"Oh, I could, but you see, I'd be going against his wishes," Maiden of the Moonlight replied. "Your little hikari came with me willingly. Of course, he was also foolish enough to believe that I would leave the rest of you alone if he did." She paused and purposely spun the Puzzle, running her fingers tauntingly along the sharp corners. "He's very trusting, your little one."

"What do you want?" Ryou cried. He flinched as soon as she looked at him, but stood his ground, determined to help in some way. Amane hovered behind him, and her presence helped.

Maiden of the Moonlight's gaze settled on him – no, on his chest. "If you were willing to give me something in return, I'd think about giving your friend back," she said slowly.

His hand touched the Millennium Ring uncertainly, and he couldn't help darting a glance at Bakura, remembering the last time he'd wanted to give the Ring up in exchange for someone else. Bakura had fought against him like the devil at the time, but now the yami remained silent, though his shoulders were stiff with tension. Ryou hesitated, uncertain of whether Maiden of the Moonlight could be trusted. He'd give up the Ring for Yuugi's life in a heartbeat, but she'd openly admitted to breaking whatever deal she had made with Yuugi. How could he be sure that she wouldn't pull the same thing on him?

"You'd give him back, just like that?" he asked warily.

"Of course," she answered a touch too brightly.

Ryou closed his eyes briefly and silently prayed that he wasn't condemning his best friend to death. "If you want the Ring, go get it!" With those words, he jerked the Ring off and threw it away from them, into the shadows. Maiden of the Moonlight lurched forward with a strangled gasp, putting her off balance; Seto's head whipped around and his blue eyes flashed with a pale light. Blue Eyes White Dragon screamed with triumph as she launched herself directly at Maiden of the Moonlight.

"Mariku, get Ryou and Malik out of here!" Bakura yelled, bringing one of his hands up. Before he could summon a creature, Maiden of the Moonlight dashed too close to the unconscious Shizuka and Mokuba, causing Blue Eyes White Dragon to cut off her attack immediately. That gave Maiden of the Moonlight the chance to she had been waiting for. Raw magic built up between her hands and exploded.

It was a funny thing, watching that blast of pure magic come closer. Ryou felt frozen, like time had stopped. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Amane watch him, and although she looked horrified, she made no move to save him. He had accepted the inevitable when he felt something – or rather, _someone_ – slam into him at full force, knocking him out of the way and leaving another person to take the brunt of the attack. The landing knocked all of the breath out of him, leaving him without the ability to scream when Bakura's body slumped lifelessly to the ground. Ten feet away, Yami also fell to his knees with a strangled groan.

"Fucking _bitch_!" Mariku shouted, reaching for the Rod.

"Bakura, oh my god," Ryou moaned, only half paying attention to the battle as Mariku summoned a monster. His ankle twanged with pain as he scrambled over to Bakura and pulled his yami's head onto his lap, leaning over him. The sight of the blood on Bakura's chest and arm made him feel dizzy and sick to his stomach. "Bakura? Can you hear me?"

There was no answer, but a hand touched his shoulder. Ryou jumped and found himself looking over at Yami, who managed a smile. "Don't worry, Ryou," he said hoarsely. "Bakura's faced worse things than this. Listen, you have to summon the Millennium Ring before Maiden of the Moonlight picks it up."

"Summon it?" It was too much. Ryou felt dangerously close to losing it completely, and it must have shown in his face, because Yami's grip on his arm became more firm and confident.

"The true owner of the Millennium Items can summon them at any time, as long as the Items are not being held captive in some way," Yami explained. His breathing was laboured, worryingly so. Both of them flinched as Anzu finally picked herself up and joined the battle against Maiden of the Moonlight with her Duel Monster in tow. "You just have to focus on the Ring. When Maiden of the Moonlight drops the Puzzle, I'm going to do the same."

"But… you're not the true owner…" Ryou blinked at him through eyes that felt suspiciously misty.

"I'm hoping that the Puzzle will be willing to heed my call anyway," came the quiet reply. "Hurry, Ryou!"

Ryou nodded shakily and closed his eyes again with what sounded suspiciously like a watery sniffle. He searched for that spot in his mind that Bakura had shown him. His bond with Bakura was weak, and he could tell that the attack had done more damage than was visible on the surface, but he pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind and struggled to focus on the Ring. Gingerly, he took the thin strands that connected him to the item and pulled, wishing hard for it to return to him. A breathless minute passed before he felt something hard and warm nudging against his thigh. Yami was smiling at him when he opened his eyes and grabbed the Ring.

"Good job," he said, and Ryou felt an undeniable surge of pride that he'd done _something _right, at least. "Now, put it around your neck, and don't ever take it off again."

A wan smile touched his lips. "Bakura told me the same thing."

"Sometimes he's smarter than he looks," Yami replied, watching as Ryou placed the cord of the Ring around his neck. He squeezed Ryou's arm hard. "Stay here, Ryou, and whatever you do, don't draw any more attention to yourself, alright?"

He nodded silently and watched as Yami stood up. Mariku was hanging back, trying to protect Malik and the other unconscious people. Blue Eyes White Dragon was clearly exhausted, and the period between her attacks was longer each time. Anzu's Duel Monster was a poor opponent for Maiden of the Moonlight; she eventually took it out with one well aimed spell. Yami's left hand clenched into a fist as the desire to help slammed through him, but there was no way he could. Without the Puzzle or Yuugi, he would only be able to summon lower level monsters that Maiden of the Moonlight would have an easy time dispersing.

Instead, eyes narrowing in concentration, Yami stared hard at the Puzzle, which was just barely visible through the bright flashes of light that made up Maiden of the Moonlight's attacks. The Puzzle trembled faintly from the force of his pull, but it was tucked snugly into the curve of Maiden of the Moonlight's arm, meaning that he was unable to pull it away. Seto glanced over at him and then, summoning the last of his energy, called one of his weaker monsters forth. Weak, yes, but effective. He watched with poorly concealed satisfaction as the ground beneath Maiden of the Moonlight's feet shook and then collapsed. She fell with a shriek, instinctively flinging her hands up as she struggled to avoid the huge mouth that had appeared below her.

Yami's hand snapped up and the golden eye of Ra gleamed on his forehead as he _pulled_. The Puzzle stopped mid-fall and began to fly in his direction. Maiden of the Moonlight landed safely on the ground and spun to face him. She was panting for breath, but that didn't stop her from throwing her hand up, a spell on her lips. Just as the magic leapt free of her fingers and flew towards the Puzzle, Yami's hands closed around the item. Ryou had to look away from the resulting brilliant flash of light, his eyes stinging fiercely. He heard Maiden of the Moonlight give an enraged scream, and Seto and Mariku shouting Yami's name. By the time he was able to look back, Maiden of the Moonlight was gone, and so was Yami.

All that was left were the shattered pieces of the Millennium Puzzle.

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Please review!


	26. Chapter 26

**N/A:** So the general consensus seems to be that I'm not a very nice person. Haha. I do like my cliffhangers, which should be obvious by now. I have to admit, I had a lot of fun with this chapter, too. It contains one of my favourite tendershipping scenes to date, which actually may very well be one of my favourite scenes in the story, period. Actually, I really like this whole chapter, which is rare. Enjoy!

* * *

_Darkness. That's all that he could sense. Visions kept flashing across his mind - a boy with wild, tri-color hair and enormous lavender eyes reaching out to him, a tall brunette with cold blue eyes, and two other boys, one with white hair and the other dark blond, all speaking soundlessly - but they meant nothing because he couldn't remember who those people were, or why they even mattered. He knew that they were _supposed_ to matter, especially the boy with the violet eyes, but…_

_ Cold. If he had limbs, he would have been shivering. It permeated every inch of him until he knew nothing else, erasing the memories he possessed of things like heat. The shadows were always cold; they were made from a lack of heat, which the light gave off in spades._

_ Light. He knew that word, knew what it was supposed to mean, but he didn't really understand. Warmth? Light? What were those? His memories were scattered, disjointed, but it had always been darkness. He was sure of that much. That's what he was, and that's what he would always be. There was no light. The shadows made certain of that. They were not ready to let him go anytime soon, and they did not like the fact that those from before something made him yearn to leave._

_ Yuugi. A name that meant nothing and everything all at the same time. _

_ If he'd had eyes, he would have cried._

_ Instead, he drifted, waiting, lost in the embrace of the shadows._

**GMA**

Ryou knelt beside the bed, ignoring the way his body protested at being forced into a position that made his back and ankle ache. Bakura was so still and silent that it was positively eerie, and he couldn't tear himself away; the yami hadn't awoken since their escape from the Shadow Realm. Seto's best doctors had looked him over and reported that his injuries were mild, all things considered, and that he would have to be kept in bed for at least twenty-four hours to give his head time to heal. Even then, he'd have to take it easy. His left arm and side, which had taken the brunt of the hit, would take considerably longer to be back in peak condition, as Maiden of the Moonlight's blow had done a fair amount of damage.

Leaning his head against the bed, Ryou closed his eyes, fighting back tears of frustration and sorrow. Part of him just wanted to let go and fall asleep, but he couldn't, not while his mind was churning in what felt like one big circle. He didn't understand Bakura sometimes - no, make that _all _the time. Why the hell would his yami put himself at risk just for the sake of saving Ryou? Especially when the Millennium Ring had been gone at the time… Ryou shook his head at the thought of the Ring, his hand unconsciously going to his chest and brushing against the familiar cold. Was it just because of power, or were they becoming something… more?

"Are you crying again?"

The sound of the voice was so unexpected that, for a moment, Ryou didn't even register that Bakura had spoken. Then his head snapped up, his eyes widening. "Bakura! You're awake!" he cried.

Bakura snorted. "Like something so minor could keep me down," he muttered, though the pallor of his face indicated that he spoke the words with a false bravado. He shifted and winced briefly as the movement jarred his wounds. "Where's… the Pharaoh?"

He stilled at the question, his joy vanishing in the wake of remembering what had happened. "Yami disappeared," he said quietly, unsure of how Bakura would take the information. In spite of how much Bakura claimed to hate the other boy, they seemed to be surprisingly close. "Seto said that he believes Yami was imprisoned in the Millennium Puzzle when it shattered."

Closing his eyes, Bakura swore loudly. "Fucking hell. I'm going to_ kill_ that bitch for this."

"Get in line," Ryou said with a thin smile, remembering Seto's and Mariku's reactions. Neither of them had been happy, to say the least. If Maiden of the Moonlight had any sense of self-preservation whatsoever, she would stay far away from the group for some time. "Yuugi is the only person who can put the Puzzle back together and we don't know where he is." For a split second, the tears threatened to overwhelm him again, and he had to fight them back with what little composure he had left.

"You're worried about him," Bakura said, looking up at him.

Uncomfortable with the close scrutiny, Ryou shifted uneasily and then winced a little when his ankle throbbed. "Of course I am. He's one of my best friends."

The barest hint of a scowl flashed across Bakura's face briefly before it disappeared. "What's the matter with you?"

Ryou blinked at him, astonished. "Nothing! I don't know what you - "

"You can't sit still," Bakura interrupted, eyes narrowing. "And you flinched just now."

"I… um… hurt my ankle when you pushed me aside," Ryou said, stunned that Bakura had even noticed. Was Bakura actually _caring _him?

"Weakling," he muttered, rolling his eyes slightly.

Maybe not. That did it. Ryou slammed his hand down on the bed and awkwardly levered himself up. "What is the _matter _with you?" he shouted, having passed the level of "completely frustrated" a long time ago. Tears stung his eyes and this time, he didn't bother trying to keep them back. "Why can't you ever make up your mind? One minute I think that you might actually like me in spite of what you say and do, and against my better judgement, I start thinking about forgiving you for being such a jackass. But then you start acting like _this_, calling me weakling and being a jackass, and I can't believe I ever even _thought_ that you might care anything for me." He turned, so annoyed that he knew he couldn't stay around Bakura anymore, and started hobbling towards the door. "Let me know when you figure out what you want, Bakura, because I'm not interested in just being your expressway to power."

"Ryou."

At the sound of his name, Ryou hesitated for a split second, torn between finishing walking out and returning to Bakura's side. He hated how he always felt so conflicted around his darkness. On the one hand, he wanted to be with Bakura because he knew they could be good together, and he felt irresistibly drawn to the older boy. But on the other hand, Bakura was annoying as all hell, and he'd already stepped on Ryou's feelings so many times that he didn't know how much longer he could take it. It was that thought that made him decide to ignore Bakura and reach for the doorknob anyway.

"I… I'm… I'm sorry."

Change of plans. Ryou's hand froze about two inches from the doorknob, so shocked that he stopped crying and possibly breathing. Surely, he couldn't have heard what he _thought_ he'd just heard? Slowly, feeling like the world as he had known it had just turned upside down, he spun around and stared at Bakura, completely speechless, eyes enormous. His yami was looking back at him, and for once, there was no cruelty or mocking in Bakura's face. In fact, Bakura just seemed to be very tired. It tugged at Ryou's heart, and he found himself moving back across the room to his yami's side before he could stop himself.

"What did you say?" he asked cautiously, hovering beside the bed.

"You heard me," Bakura mumbled. "What I said on the roof, I didn't… I didn't…" He trailed off, annoyed, and scowled. "Forget it."

"No, I want to know," Ryou insisted, his heart suddenly pounding in his chest. Those cruel words had played across his mind for hours, until he knew he'd never be able to forget them. Never in his _life_ would he have imagined that Bakura might be willing to apologize. He sat down on the edge of the bed, hope shining in his big brown eyes.

Bakura sighed. "I don't… like people, alright?" he said, unable to look away from his hikari, though he sorely wanted to. "Humans in general are just… and you… you're… _annoying_ to me. I don't understand you or the things you do. You… you're so… _weak_… but there's something about you that I…" He trailed off and had to make himself continue. "When she was attacking you, I was worried about _you_. Not the Millennium Ring." He sounded both awed and disgusted by that fact.

"Are you saying that you actually_ like_ me?" Ryou asked, unable to keep the disbelief from his voice. What had just happened? Clearly, Bakura had been replaced with someone else, because he couldn't imagine his cold, cruel yami ever saying something like that. He was half tempted to check and see if Bakura was running a temperature. Or maybe he should pinch himself to make sure that he hadn't fallen asleep.

"You're tolerable," came the reply.

Tolerable. Coming from Bakura, that actually didn't sound so bad. It was probably the closest to a compliment he'd ever get. Ryou smiled. "I like you, too, Bakura," he said softly, a blush rising in his cheeks. "And... I wanted to thank you for saving my life."

Bakura glared at him. "Obviously, I had no choice. I would have been left without the other half of my soul if I'd let you die," he said hastily.

Ryou grinned. "Sure, Bakura," he said, eyes twinkling. It hadn't escaped his notice that Bakura hadn't once mentioned losing his source of power. No, now it was "the other half of his soul". Somehow, he felt like he was actually starting to get a handle on the confusing and complex mixture of emotions that made up his darkness. He ran a hand through his tangled hair and added, "And by the way, I forgive you, 'Kura."

He actually sputtered. It was _adorable_. "Forgive me? For _what_? And what the fuck do you mean, _'Kura_? My name is _Ba_kura, Rabbit."

"You have a nickname for me, so I think I should have one for you, too. It's only fair," Ryou replied, unable to keep the mischievous grin from tugging at his lips. "And to answer your question, I forgive you for what you said to me on the roof that day. I get that you were just trying to push me away and I think I understand now that you were scared of me."

"_Me_? Scared of _you_?" Bakura sounded absolutely staggered.

"That's right," Ryou said cheerfully. "It's okay, 'Kura. I _understand_."

"Oh you do, do you?" Bakura actually growled, his eyes narrowing.

"Uh-huh. I understand that when I do this…" He trailed off and leaned down to press a kiss to his yami's mouth. Bakura actually forgot what he'd been so upset about in lieu of his light's surprisingly talented lips and tongue, which were extremely successful at distraction. His expression was dazed by the time Ryou pulled away, and the hikari giggled. "It's scary to you," he said softly, drawing a gentle finger down Bakura's cheek. "There's nothing wrong with that. I just wish that I'd been able to know a little sooner."

"Yeah…" The yami said dazedly. "I mean… wait. No! You little…" With another low growl, he grabbed Ryou and tugged the boy down on the bed with him. He couldn't do much considering that most of the left side of his body was out of commission, but that didn't stop him from attacking with his right hand. Ryou burst out laughing and wiggled out of reach of Bakura's fingers, curling up around the older boy and laying his head on Bakura's chest.

"Bakura," he whispered, suddenly sounding very young and very afraid. "Do you think... Yuugi and Yami will be okay... right?" Ryou couldn't imagine his life without Yuugi in it. He, Yuugi and Malik had been a trio for so long that he felt very off balance without Yuugi's presence. And while he didn't know Yami that well, what he had known of the older teen, he'd liked, and he dreaded the thought of Yami being trapped inside of the Millennium Puzzle forever. Was it cold in there? And dark? Did Yami know they were worried about him? A shudder coursed through his body, and he curled that much closer as Bakura's right arm came down around his waist and trailed a soothing path up his back.

"Go to sleep, Rabbit. Our friends will be fine," Bakura muttered. "Maiden of the Moonlight is only a Duel Monster who needs to be taught a lesson." Hearing the unspoken 'and we will be the ones to teach it to her' made Ryou smile as his eyes fluttered shut and he allowed the soothing rhythm of Bakura's heartbeat to lull him into a deep sleep.

**GMA**

Anzu had fucked up big time. She knew that as surely as she knew that there was no way Yami was ever going to fall in love with her, even if he was somehow rescued. Tears glistened briefly in her azure eyes, but she blinked them back as she tenderly ran her fingers over the pieces of the Millennium Puzzle. It was dangerous – Mariku had already caught her touching them once, and he'd nearly taken her head off before Malik appeared and successfully distracted him – but she had always enjoyed tempting fate, and she felt the need to be near Yami in any way that she could, even if she couldn't help him. She'd already tried fitting the pieces together with no success.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, her lips forming the words carefully. "I'm sorry, Yami-san. Can you even hear me?" Feeling utterly useless, Anzu dropped her head into her hands to muffle the sound of her sobs. She hadn't been expecting the ambush when she, Honda, and Otogi had walked into the Shadow Realm. For all of their experience at being guardians, the three of them had been completely blindsided by Maiden of the Moonlight, and she honestly didn't remember a thing from that moment on until she'd woken up to find a very pissed off Yami hovering over her. Obviously, she had said or done something during the battle that was upsetting the others, because no one had given her a second glance since they returned to the house.

"Anzu-san?" The sound of the soft, polite voice had Anzu scrambling to wipe away her tears as the kitchen light flashed on. Shizuka stood in the doorway, wearing a set of pale pink pyjamas. There was a pristine white bandage wrapped around her forehead, covering an ugly gash that Jou would no doubt freak out over when he finally woke up. Anzu looked up at the younger girl and smiled wanly, distantly thinking that she probably looked like a dreadful mess, but not really caring.

"Hello, Shizuka-chan," she said quietly, scooting her chair back from the table. Shizuka didn't appear to be angry, but Anzu knew she wasn't supposed to be touching the pieces of the Puzzle. They didn't belong to her. Hot bitterness swelled her throat shut for a moment and she turned her head away, lest Shizuka spot the flash of emotion she couldn't quite hold back.

"You've been crying," Shizuka observed, face filled with sympathy. She stepped into the room, her bunny slippers squeaking against the floor, and walked over to the refrigerator. Anzu continued to stare down at the golden pieces, keeping her hands folded as she listened to Shizuka moving around fetching glasses. A moment later, Shizuka sat down across from her with two glasses and a pitcher of some kind of bright pink liquid. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"I don't think I can," she muttered with a rueful smile, accepting a glass of the drink. Tartness exploded across her tongue when she took a sip, and she winced, realizing that someone must have let Mariku loose in the kitchen again. He adored creating innocent-looking meals to spring on unsuspecting victims. "I don't remember anything of what happened. I mean, I've figured out that _something_ happened..." She cast a quick glance at the pieces and felt her stomach twist at the thought of Yami being trapped inside. "But..."

"That must be very frustrating," she said gently, playing with her own glass. "I can tell you what little I know, but to be honest, I was unconscious for a lot of the time. Jou was really the one who faced Maiden of the Moonlight. She had you, Otogi-san and Honda-san under one of her spells. You were... very angry." The words were spoken with a degree of hesitance that made Anzu cringe.

"What did I say? I didn't hurt anyone, did I?" She dreaded the answer.

"Not as far as I know." Humming softly, Shizuka tilted her head and considered the question. "No, I don't believe you did. We were knocked out before you got the chance."

That was some small consolation, at least, but then again, from the sound of it she hadn't done anything to help, either. Anzu sat back in her chair and sighed. "I just wish..." She let her voice trail off and couldn't help flinching when Seto strode into the room unexpectedly. His cold blue eyes swept over the two of them, softening ever so slightly when he gazed in Shizuka's direction. Shizuka gave him a bright grin in response as he walked over to the table and carefully picked up the box that held the pieces of the Millennium Puzzle. He turned and left them without a word, leaving Anzu staring after him longingly.

"You just wish what?" Shizuka coaxed after a few minutes of silence had passed.

"Huh?" Anzu looked back at her and blinked, startled by the question. "Oh, sorry. I completely forgot what we were talking about," she said apologetically. "I was thinking... Kaiba-kun seems angry with me. Well, angrier than normal, anyway. I was wondering what I did while you were knocked out."

"I wouldn't worry about Seto-onii-san," Shizuka replied kindly. "He's not _that_ angry at you. I think he's worried about Onii-chan and Yami-san and frightened, and very frustrated because he feels helpless and he's not used to that. They're very close, you know. He and Yami-san, I mean. Seto-onii-san worries about Yami-san all the time... or at least, he did before they found Yuugi-san." A small smile tugged at her lips.

Anzu regarded her with surprise. "You know him much better than I would have guessed."

"You learn a lot by listening," said Shizuka, finally putting the glass to her lips. She swallowed without wincing and added, "What I've learned about you, Anzu-san, is that you never give up when you want something, and that you feel losing out on something means you're somehow not worthy. That's not completely true. You're very strong, but you need to learn to lose with grace. Yami-san has never, and will never, be yours. Please try to accept that before it causes more problems."

Her fingers tightened around the stem of the glass. "He never even gave me a chance," Anzu mumbled, more to herself than to Shizuka. "It's not _fair_."

"Anzu-san..." Sighing, Shizuka leaned forward. The ends of her auburn hair swept over the table as she placed a hand over Anzu's. "Listen to me. We've known each for a couple of years now, and I consider us to be friends. Please believe me when I say that I'm not telling you this in a bid to hurt you. Yami-san was _destined_ for Yuugi-san. They are literally two halves that make a perfect whole. Even if he wanted to, Yami-san couldn't love you in the way that you want him to. You had his friendship. If you keep trying, you could have it again, but that's all you'll ever get. Before you continue acting as a guardian, I suggest that you figure out whether that can be enough. As long as you refuse to give up on him, you're more of a danger to all of us than you are a hindrance."

Stung, Anzu jerked her hand away. "I would never hurt any of you on purpose!"

"No, but when your heart is clouded by feelings of hatred, jealously, and despair, you become an easier target," Shizuka said meaningfully. "Honda-san and Otogi-san both fought against Maiden of the Moonlight's spell, but you succumbed to it easily. I could tell by the way the essence of her magic clung to you even after you snapped out of it. If I didn't know you so well, I'd almost be tempted to believe that you went along with it willingly, though_ I_ know that's not the case." The special emphasis she had put on her last sentence wasn't missed, and Anzu realized that she knew why the others had been acting so strangely. She dropped her head.

"All I did was fall in love," she mumbled. "How did it go so wrong?"

Shizuka flashed her a sympathetic smile. "Love itself is never bad or wrong. It's the emotions that go along with it that tear us apart." She stood up, taking her mostly full glass with her, and smoothed her shirt down. "Think about it, Anzu-san. If you feel the need to leave us for a little while so that you can deal with this, I don't think anyone would begrudge you that choice." With that passing comment, she turned on her heel and left the kitchen, leaving Anzu alone.

Leave? Anzu pressed her cold fingers against her neck in a vain attempt to warm them up and seriously considered Shizuka's words. The younger girl had a point, much as she hated to admit it. She was having a difficult time controlling her jealousy towards Yuugi, even though she knew that he didn't deserve it. Maybe some part of her_ had_ wanted to do him harm, and fuck, that was a scary thought. Shivering, she stood up and dumped her glass out in the sink, then stared thoughtfully out the window at the dark yard. For the past few years, she had been doing her duty in guarding her pharaoh with everything she had to give. Perhaps Shizuka was right... it was time for her to move on.

**GMA**

Kaiba Seto sat down in the chair that he had pulled up beside his bed and placed the worn cardboard box in his lap, sighing as he stared down at the pieces of the Millennium Puzzle. The cold gold tingled when he drew a hand through the pieces, and for the briefest of moments, he thought he could feel Yami before the sensation faded. Even though he knew it was useless, he couldn't prevent himself from picking up two of the pieces and trying to fit them together. Yuugi was the only person who would be able to solve the Puzzle and save Yami, but Seto had never been one to back down from a challenge, and he needed _something_ to do or he was going to lose his mind.

A soft groan made him look up from his task. Jou shifted on their bed and then settled, though his face remained screwed up in a pained scowl. Seto sighed and leaned forward, ghosting his fingers against his lover's cheek. Though he had no magic left to ease the pain, Jou still fell back into a deeper sleep, soothed by Seto's presence. A sad smile crossed Seto's face as he gently pulled the covers further up around Jou's body. His doctors had found minimal damage, mostly in the form of strained muscles in his lower back, bruised muscles in his stomach area, and the occasional cut or bruise. Other than that, Jou had been given a clean bill of health along with the recommendation that he stay in bed for a few days to allow his body time to heal.

"Yeah, like that will happen," Seto muttered to himself, smirking.

"Nii-sama?"

Seto turned quickly at the sound of his name. "Mokuba? What are you still doing up?"

Mokuba shuffled into the room, rubbing tiredly at his eyes. His hair was mussed and a few strands stood on end. That, combined with the bright red pyjamas he was wearing, made him look so young that Seto's heart wrenched. "I was worried about Jou and I saw your light on," he mumbled. "Why are _you_ still awake?"

"No particular reason." The lie came easily to Seto's lips. He didn't want his younger brother to know that he was too wound up to sleep. With Yami's absence, the wards on the mansion were not as strong as usual, and he was concerned that Maiden of the Moonlight might come back for another attempt. They still had two Millennium Items in their possession, after all. Mariku may have been capable of fighting, but Seto was drained and Bakura would be out of commission for at least a day or two.

"Liar," Mokuba said lightly, muffling a yawn with his hand. "I can see right through you, Nii-sama. Please to go to sleep. I don't think she'll come back tonight."

"I hate when you do that," Seto murmured, reaching out to trail an affectionate hand over Mokuba's soft black hair. In an uncustomary show of love, he pulled his younger brother close. Words couldn't describe how frightened he'd been to see Mokuba and Jou earlier. They were the most important people in his life, save for Yami, and he had no idea what he would do if he lost them. "I don't suppose you would listen to me if I asked that you not continue being a guardian."

"No, I wouldn't, so please don't ask me to disobey you," the boy mumbled. "She didn't hurt me, Nii-sama."

"I know. But I still worry about you. That's my job."

"As I recall, your job is being a vicious old CEO," he teased.

Seto arched an eyebrow. "_Old_?"

Chuckling, Mokuba tugged away and stood next to the bed. He looked down at Jou for a long moment before he glanced at his brother. "Can I sleep in here with you two?"

For a moment, Seto couldn't speak past the fury that had flashed through him at his brother's simple request. He couldn't remember the last time that Mokuba had asked to sleep with him. It had been years. "Of course," he managed finally, swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat. It sat coldly in his stomach like a block of ice. The urge to track down Maiden of the Moonlight and kill her slowly and painfully was nearly overwhelming, and he knew he had to get away before Mokuba saw how furious he was.

"Nii-sama?" Mokuba looked at him curiously when he stood up.

"I'm fine," said Seto reassuringly. Mokuba may have been skilled at reading his older brother, but Seto had years of practice at hiding his emotions. "I'm just going to do one last check around the house before we go to sleep. You get in bed with Jou. I'll be back in a minute."

"Okay." Tossing the covers back, Mokuba sat down and scooted towards the middle of the bed. It was easily large enough to accommodate all three of them, even if Jou did have the somewhat annoying tendency to sprawl across the bed like he was the only occupant. "Can I skip school tomorrow?"

Amused, Seto glanced back at his brother with a raised eyebrow. He had no intention of letting Mokuba or Shizuka go anywhere until he knew that they were fully recovered from the attack, but Mokuba had no way of knowing that. Like Seto, he had just never been one to let opportunity to pass him by. "I suppose," he said finally, acting like he was making a big concession. Predictably, Mokuba grinned broadly as he lay down and curled up around Jou, who, even unconscious, shifted towards the younger boy protectively. Seto smiled slightly.

"Go to sleep," he told his brother, striding across the room. He flipped the light off but left the door open, knowing that Mokuba disliked sleeping in complete darkness. The rest of the house was dark and quiet as he walked around, and everything seemed to be alright, but Seto's nerves were still buzzing. There was a jittery energy filling his veins, like something wasn't quite right, but he couldn't put his finger on what it was. Everyone had checked on so far, including Bakura, Ryou and Anzu, were asleep.

The sound of music and voices caught his attention, and he descended the stairs to the living room. There, he found Mariku watching television. Malik was cuddled up beside him, his head resting on his yami's chest and his cell phone gripped in his hand. It had clearly been pressed to his ear at some point, and his hand had ended up slipping down to his lap. Shizuka was sitting on the couch with them, sleeping on the armrest with her head resting on top of her arms. Mariku glanced up at him when he entered, but didn't seem to be surprised that Seto was still awake. He nodded a greeting and lifted the remote, turning the sound down.

"Can't sleep?" he asked.

"I feel like she's out there waiting," said Seto. It was the kind of comment that he usually would have made only to Yami. He was feeling the loss of his cousin keenly.

"I'm sure she normally would be, but we dealt her a serious blow tonight." Mariku ran his fingers through his hair, then dropped his hand onto Malik's head. "Malik's sister talked him to sleep."

"She's out of the hospital, isn't she?" His worry for Isis, and what her death would mean for their group, made his voice sharper than he had intended.

"She knows how to protect herself. I believe she's spending the night with Aniki," Mariku replied.

Seto relaxed and glanced at Shizuka. "I thought she went to bed."

Mariku shrugged. "We were in here watching TV and she came in and sat down."

Not surprising. Shizuka was one of the few people who remained unintimidated by both Mariku and Bakura no matter what they did. "You should go to bed," he said. "You look tired."

The yami gave a short laugh. "Easier said than done. I suppose, like you, I feel that something's not right." Their eyes met in a silent, shared understanding. Though neither of them was willing to say it out loud, it was _Yami_ that they were missing. Yami's presence had been a constant in their lives since the whole concept of the Millennium Items had been brought to light, and having him gone meant they were somewhat at a loss.

"I'll take her." Dropping his gaze, Seto stepped up to the couch and slipped his arms under Shizuka, lifting her small weight easily. She muttered something under her breath and laid her head on his shoulder without waking. He turned to Mariku. "The barriers and wards around the house may not be as strong without Yami, but they will hold. You can't protect Malik if you're exhausted."

"I never knew you were such a worrywart," said Mariku, but the comment was without malice. He gently eased Malik off of his body and stood up, stretching. Seto waited patiently while he turned the television off and then gathered Malik into his arms. The two of them carried their precious burdens up the stairs, where Seto watched to make sure that Mariku had actually gone into his bedroom before he continued on. Some part of him detested this position he'd been thrust into; it was Yami's responsibility to be the one who cared, the one who kept them all together, and he didn't like that it had fallen on his shoulders in his cousin's absence. They had to get Yami back, and _soon_.

Inside his own bedroom, he gently set Shizuka down on the bed next to Mokuba before he stripped down to just his boxers. He sat down and then stretched out on the bed, placing his head on the pillow and pulling the covers up around them all. Shizuka rolled towards him immediately and gave a contented sigh as she placed her head on his chest, never once waking up from her deep sleep. Seto smiled to himself and stretched out an arm across the pillow so that he could tangle his fingers in Jou's golden blonde hair. It felt good to know that almost everyone he cared the most about were all safe, in one bed, where he could protect them. Wearily, he closed his eyes and waited for sleep to take him away.

* * *

Please review!


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N:** I'm grateful for the reviews I got last chapter, 'cause I get the feeling I'm not going to be loved much after this one. Just know that writing _that _scene (you'll know what one I'm talking about when you get there) was horrifying and I felt a bit ashamed afterwards. I've never wished Yuugi was real more, if only so I could give him a big hug. Enjoy!

* * *

To say that things in the Kaiba mansion were tense was an understatement, Malik decided, glancing nervously around the living room. What remained of their group - Mariku, Malik, Seto, Jou, Shizuka, Mokuba, Honda, Otogi, Anzu, Bakura, Ryou, Rishid, Shadi, and Isis - had assembled in the living room with the intention of figuring out what their next move should be, but even though a good fifteen minutes passed, no one had spoken yet. All eyes were fixed on the worn cardboard box that was sitting innocently on the coffee table. It had clearly seen better days, and from the looks of it, was just barely holding itself together, as the weight of the golden puzzle pieces inside were threatening to tear it apart entirely. Malik wondered if the others, like him, were wondering what had happened to Yami. Was he really trapped in there? Did he know what had happened?

"Hopefully not," Isis said quietly, her voice filled with horror at the thought. Malik jumped, realizing that he must have unintentionally spoken out loud. His sister was sitting on the chair just across from him, and her presence was comforting. Having both her and Mariku in the room was soothing and made him feel safe, not that Malik would ever be willing to admit that out loud.

"But he might be?" Ryou asked nervously, clutching Bakura's unwounded arm tightly. It had been against Seto's better judgement to allow both Bakura and Jou to come downstairs so soon, but the two of them had been so insistent that the brunette had finally given up.

"No one knows," Rishid murmured, speaking for the first time since he had entered the Kaiba mansion. He was standing behind the chair that Isis was sitting in, his arms folded across his chest. Shadi stood next to him. "This has never happened before."

"What do we do, then?"

"We need to get Yuugi-san back." Surprisingly, it was Shizuka who ended up cutting straight to the heart of the matter. She was sitting on the couch in between Jou and Mokuba. Her face was filled with determination and her eyes blazed with ferocity as she added, "It doesn't _matter _what's going on in there. We're just torturing ourselves. Even if it's hard, we have to forget about Yami-san for the time being and focus on saving Yuugi-san. He's the only one with the power to save Yami-san. No one else can solve the Puzzle."

"You're right," said Jou, giving his little sister a proud smile. Somewhere along the way, Shizuka had grown up without giving him the time to even realize it. He couldn't help feeling sad at the knowledge that he hadn't been there to watch the process happen, but he was filled with pride at the young woman that she had become. Shizuka winked back at him.

"But we don't know where Yuugi is," Malik pointed out, shifting uneasily. He hadn't encountered Maiden of the Moonlight personally yet, and he had no desire to. She had given off the feeling of being as cold as ice during their encounter in the Shadow Realm, and just being near her had made every bone in his body ache. Yuugi had been afraid of her, and he and Ryou hadn't understood why until yesterday. Now he understood all too well. "Maiden of the Moonlight could have taken him anymore."

A young maid came to the door of the room just as he finished speaking. If she found it odd that Malik was talking about a Duel Monster like it was real, she gave no indication of it. "Kaiba-sama," she said with a polite bow. "I apologize for interrupting when you requested that you not be bothered, but... there is a package here for you. The man at the door says he will only deliver it into either you or Tenno-sama, and that if one of you doesn't come to meet him, he's going to push his way inside of the mansion to find you. He says the package will be of great interest to you." She straightened, revealing her face, which was pale and drawn with fright. "I believe he has a gun, Kaiba-sama. Shall I call security?"

"No." Seto's jaw tightened and his blue eyes flashed. He didn't have time for this kind of bullshit, not with everything else that was going on. Normally he would have just called security to handle it, but instinct told him that the timing was no coincidence. Patting Mokuba's arm reassuringly, he stood up and followed her out of the room. Jou followed his lover's progress with worried eyes, but made no move to get up, knowing that Seto would be furious if he put himself in danger when he couldn't really defend himself. Surprisingly, Mariku glanced at him and then sighed loudly before he too got up and, shoving his hands into his pockets, trailed after Seto muttering under his breath about priests. Malik smiled after his yami.

"To get back on topic, we believe that Maiden of the Moonlight would have taken the Pharaoh's hikari back to Pegasus," said Rishid. "That's what makes the most sense. She might not have the Millennium Puzzle, but the boy is a bargaining tool for Pegasus to attempt to use against us, especially if they know that the Pharaoh has been trapped in the shattered puzzle." He swept his eyes over the assembled group and he raised an eyebrow in question. "_Does_ she know?"

No one spoke for several seconds as Malik, Anzu and Ryou tried to remember the final few minutes of the fight. Finally, Ryou said softly, "I don't think so. I'm pretty sure that she disappeared as soon as her spell hit the puzzle. Or at least, that's what it looked like."

"Then we have a slight advantage," Rishid concluded with a satisfied nod. "Pegasus will be making an attempt to barter with Yami, but we'll be able to be more clear-headed about this in his place."

Malik narrowed his eyes slightly. "What do you mean, more clear-headed?" he asked suspiciously, not liking the way that Rishid had said that. It sounded far too much like Isis did right before she said or did something that was meant to be in his better interests.

Rishid glanced at him. His green eyes were intent. "It may be that we won't be able to rescue the boy for some time."

"_What_?" Anzu exclaimed. Up until that moment, she had been standing silently in the corner beside Honda and Otogi. Now, she stepped forward, brown hair swinging around her shoulders, and planted her hands on her hips. "Now you listen to me, Yamada Rishid! I've put up with a lot of shit from you two in the past couple of years." Her angry glare included a disinterested Shadi. "I never complained because it was for Yami-san's sake, and as long as were helping him, that was fine and I could live with it. But this... this is just going too damn far. Yami-san would _never_ approve of this and you know it! Besides, Yuugi is the Pharaoh's light. He's the only one who can rescue Yami. How can you even think about leaving him with Pegasus?"

Shadi looked up. The Millennium Key hung loosely from his fingers like a promise - or a warning. "Where the Pharaoh is, he is safe," he stated in a monotone. "No one can hurt him, we know where he is at all times, and more importantly, he is out of the reach of any Duel Monsters or Pegasus for that exact reason. Having the boy solve the puzzle too soon could prove disadvantageous."

Anzu's mouth dropped open. "Are you suggesting that you're going to _leave_ Yami trapped in the puzzle?" she shrieked.

Fortunately, Seto and Mariku entered at that moment just in time to hear Anzu's words. Seto's head snapped up, the package he was holding forgotten, and he was speaking before anyone else had the chance to react. "What's that?"

"They want to leave Yami-san in the puzzle," Anzu cried, spinning to face him immediately. She might have been a little wary of Seto, as she still felt that the older brunette didn't like her, but she knew that when it came to Yami, Seto held nothing back. "They said that we might not have to bother saving Yuugi right away because we don't need to solve the puzzle and help Yami-san. It's apparently safer inside the puzzle instead of out here, where someone could attack him."

A dangerous look crossed Seto's face. "I allowed you two to come here because you said you could help," he stated coldly. "But if this is the kind of help you're going to provide, I'll call security to have you escorted out." He held up a silencing hand before Rishid could speak. "Regardless of whether Yami is safer in the puzzle - and I disagree that he is - I will _not_ leave my cousin there any longer than absolutely necessary. You seem to forget that with Yami gone, I am the one in charge, and I say that we are going to find Yuugi and we are going to save him so that he can put the Millennium Puzzle back together and free his darkness." His blue eyes were glowing with fury. "Do you understand me?"

"You are being foolish." Rishid folded his arms, clearly not concerned with the fury radiating off of the younger boy. "Do not get ahead of yourself, Priest."

"Don't talk to me about getting ahead of myself," Seto snapped back, tucking the package beneath his arm. Mariku edged closer to him and folded his arms in a position that mimicked his brother's stance perfectly. Bakura rose from where he'd been sitting beside Ryou and stood on Seto's other side. The meaning was clear, and even Rishid seemed a little off-balanced with all three boys staring him down. "You're the ones making decisions that you have no right to make. I think you've been meddling behind the scenes for so long that you mistakenly believe you're in control of the situation. Let me assure you that is not the case." Every word was clipped with an icy rage.

"Really, Aniki," said Mariku. There was an underlying current of anger beneath his jovial tone. Malik shivered. "Did you honestly think we would agree to this?"

"I had hoped you would see reason," Rishid admitted. "Mariku, try to understand where we're coming from. As long as we protect the puzzle, the Pharaoh is safe inside of it. No one can hurt him there." He softened slightly. "If you wish to retrieve the boy so badly, then I suppose we could come to an agreement about that, but – "

"But nothing!" Bakura cut him off with a low growl. He might have been wounded, but there was no doubt in Malik's mind that he would have been willing to fight Rishid and Shadi if necessary.

"I have to agree." Isis's voice put an end to whatever Rishid had been about to say. She stood up and turned to face the man, looking at him sternly. "You claim that Yami is safe inside of the Millennium Puzzle, but you can't know what's happening to him in there," she pointed out. "For all you know, he has no idea what's going on. Secondly, I believe that you're forgetting that while Yami is the _reincarnation_ of the Pharaoh, he is_ not_ the Pharaoh. He's a seventeen-year-old boy who has been trying very hard to keep up with all of the demands we've been placing on his shoulders. I think he's been succeeding remarkably considering that none of us have been listening to what him." One of her hands settled on her hip and she scowled. "You_ know_ that he would want us to rescue Yuugi immediately, Rishid. Yuugi means everything to him."

Neither Shadi nor Rishid seemed to be able to find an argument for that, but Rishid gave it one last try. "Sometimes the Pharaoh doesn't know what's best for him," he replied. "That's why he has advisors to act in his best interest!"

Malik stiffened. That was hitting a little too close to home for him to remain silent. "Regardless of whether you're an advisor, and I'm not sure Yami would consider you to be one since he barely knows you, his word is still law. Either he's the Pharaoh or he's not. You can't have it both ways!"

"If you don't want to help, you're free to leave," Seto declared. "But the plan is for us to rescue Yuugi so that he can solve the Millennium Puzzle and free Yami, and we're doing it _now_. It's up to you."

Shadi murmured something under his breath, too softly for Malik to hear, but judging by the way Honda and Otogi stiffened, it hadn't been a polite comment. The man stepped away from the wall and strode towards the door. "I will leave you to it," he said over his shoulder. "But you are making a grave mistake, young priest."

Seto just shook his head as Rishid hesitated, but ultimately followed Shadi after one last look at Mariku. He didn't look sorry that Shadi and Rishid were both leaving. As he sat back down on the couch beside Mokuba, Bakura eased himself down next to Ryou, and Mariku came to sit beside Malik. Or at least, that's what Malik thought he was doing. A startled squeak escaped his mouth when he felt himself being unceremoniously yanked onto the warm lap of his yami. His first instinct was to struggle, but then he felt Mariku's arms wrap around his waist and clutch at him tightly to stop or hide the slight tremors. It occurred to him that Mariku had just stood up to his brother - the one person who had always cared for him - and sympathy flashed through him, stronger than the urge to squirm away. He laid his hands over Mariku's without saying a word.

"How are we going to do this?" Ryou asked, breaking the silence that had fallen from their departures. "Let's say that Yuugi is with Pegasus. How will we get to him? Doesn't he live on an island?"

"Yeah, he does," said Otogi, fiddling with his dice earrings. "I've been there before when we had to have business meetings. Pegasus hardly ever leaves so everyone who wants to deal with him has to go there. It's a pretty reclusive place, out in the middle of no where, and he wouldn't even let me take my own transportation. He sent a helicopter to pick me up and refused to let me know exactly where we would be going." A look of grudging respect passed over his face. "You'll have a hard time tracking him down, and even if you manage to find out where the island is located, it will be difficult to get there without being noticed."

"I don't think we'll have to," Mokuba muttered. Unnoticed by the others, Seto had unwrapped the package and opened it. Inside, he had found several brightly coloured pieces of stiff paper that looked a little like tickets, along with a DVD. A small note on top of the tickets read, "To Kaiba-boy. Love always, Pegasus." Seto growled low in his throat and balled the note up.

"He sent us a _package_?" Jou said in disbelief, looking at the innocent cardboard box with the kind of wariness you'd usually reserve for a bomb. "Does he think this is some kind of joke?"

"Probably," Otogi told him. "From what I've seen, Pegasus thinks everything is a joke."

Shizuka stood up and took the DVD from Seto. She walked across the room to the television and turned it on, then placed the disc inside of the DVD player. Malik grabbed the remote and put the volume up. The screen went gray with fuzz for a moment or two before snapping into perfect clarity, revealing a large bedroom decorated sparsely in stark white. A large bed, the only piece of furniture, was in the middle of the room, close enough to two windows for the occupant to be able to look out, except that the windows were covered with iron bars. He shuddered, cringing back against Mariku at the sight of the person on the bed. It was Yuugi, his eyes closed and his skin almost as pale as the white sheets he was lying on. One of his wrists had a thick steel band around it, tying him to the headboard of the bed and thus preventing him from escaping.

The direction of the camera turned slightly, focusing on a tall, slender man with shining silver hair. Just visible behind the curtain of hair was the golden eye embedded deeply into his left eye socket. He was grinning broadly, no doubt imagining their reaction to the sight of their friend. "_Good evening,_" he purred with a deep, reverent bow. "_As you can see, your dear little friend has been making the most of my humble accommodations. He has been a most pleasant house guest. Does whatever I ask of him._"

"Yuugi…" Ryou whispered, horrified.

"_I imagine you're wondering why I've sent you this message,_" Pegasus went on, straightening from his bow. "_You have something that I want, and I have something that you want, so I'm proposing a trade. Bring those two little hikaris with you to the island._" Was it Malik's imagination, or was Pegasus actually staring at him and Ryou? "_You give me the Millennium Ring and the Millennium Rod. We'll allow Yuugi-boy to complete the Puzzle, and then I'll set him free. I'll even let the Pharaoh go. You'll leave the Millennium Items behind and I allow you to leave alive._" His smile became cruel.

Bakura swore. "He knows."

"_If you decide that you don't want to accept my offer, then I'll kill your friend._" He shrugged. "_Eventually the Pharaoh's light would be reborn, and in the meantime, the power of six Millennium Items would still be enough to give me the power I want. And just so you know that I'm not joking…_" Pegasus spun and the camera followed him, revealing that there was someone else in the room.

Isis stiffened and Malik dug his nails into Mariku's wrists, both of them barely containing the gasps that wanted to escape at the sight of the man standing in the corner of the room. The deep brown hair and cold blue eyes were so familiar to Malik, and he knew he'd never forget the way they had looked coming at him filled with rage. His _father_. What was Ishtar Hafiz doing with Pegasus? He'd known that the fight with his father was far from over, but he had never expected _this_.

"_Please,_" Pegasus said with a smirk.

"_My pleasure,_" Hafiz replied. He looked straight into the camera and smiled cruelly as he showed off the device he held in his hand. It was a small, slender silver box that looked a little like a lighter, except when he flipped the top up, there was a tiny red button instead of a flame. With obvious pleasure, Hafiz pressed the button. The results were immediate.

Yuugi's body arched up off of the bed, his lips parting to release a horrifying scream. He thrashed uselessly, struggling to escape the pain. Ryou cried out, his hand flying to his mouth at the sight. Bakura grabbed his hikari and forced Ryou to look away, pressing the boy's face against his shoulder as Ryou shook with horrified sobs. Shizuka's hands flew to her eyes, though she made herself watch between her fingers. Anzu watched in silence, tears running down her cheeks. Otogi reached out and grabbed Honda's hand tightly; his taller lover gritted his teeth, disgusted by the sight. Isis closed her eyes as though she couldn't bear to watch any longer. Jou shook with barely suppressed rage, and it was only Mokuba's tight hold on him that stopped him from jumping up. Seto watched with a barely composed expression, and only someone who knew him well would be able to see the twitch in his jaw as he fought for control. Malik just trembled, barely conscious of the fact that Mariku was almost suffocating him with the force of his grip.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, it ended. Yuugi slumped back against the bed, his breath coming in shaky, uneven gasps. Hafiz stepped closer to the bed and looked down at the smaller boy, leering in a way that made Malik's blood run cold. Violet eyes flickered open and a whimper caught in Yuugi's throat when he saw the older man. He tried to scramble away, but the chain prevented him from getting very far. Pegasus just smiled and looked back at the camera.

"_It's your choice,_" he said cheerfully. "_If you want to save your friend, then I suggest you be at the marina at 8:00am Sunday morning. My boat, the Cynthia, will be waiting there for you. Those without a ticket will not be allowed on board. Make sure the two little hikaris are there, otherwise I know my dear friend would love the opportunity to have some fun…_" He trailed off for a moment, allowing the full horror of that statement to sink in, before he lifted a hand and wiggled his fingers. "_Ta ta for now, Kaiba-boy._"

The screen went blank and a moment later, the DVD player automatically ejected the disk. Silently, Shizuka reached out and picked it up with shaking fingers. She dropped it back into the box that Seto was holding and then picked up the tickets, sliding them through her fingers. At last, she looked up and said, "There's only eight of them."

"We'll have to decide who stays and who goes." Numbly, Seto took the tickets from her. He couldn't think about what they had just watched or he would lose it. This was easier to worry about.

"Shizuka and I can come, right?" Mokuba asked, snapping out of his shock and narrowing his eyes at his brother.

"No," Jou and Seto said together.

"But we have to!"

"Enough." Seto levelled a look at his brother that allowed for no arguments. After what he had just seen, there was no way in hell that he was going to allow the two younger teens to come. "I don't care if you're a guardian or not. The answer is no and that's final. There's a ticket for me, Jou, Ryou, Bakura, Malik, and Mariku. The two that are left over will go to someone older than you two."

"I'll go," Isis said quietly. Her face was calm, but there was turmoil in her eyes. "Anzu-san, I think you should come, too."

"Me?" Anzu looked up, astonished. "But - "

"I think someone else should be chosen," Jou interrupted, not looking at Anzu.

Anzu bit her lip.

"I'll go," said Honda, squeezing Otogi's hand gently. "Anzu-chan and Otogi can stay here with Shizuka and Mokuba."

"Fine." As far as Seto was concerned, the matter was closed. He stood up, ignoring the puppy eyes he was receiving from Mokuba and Shizuka, and helped Jou to his feet. The two of them walked out of the room with the package and tickets in hand, followed by Honda and Otogi. Scowling, Mokuba jumped up and stormed out with a worried-looking Shizuka on his heels. Isis cast a concerned look in the direction of her brother before she crossed the room to Anzu and spoke to the younger girl in low tones. After a moment, Anzu nodded and the two of them left together.

Malik hadn't really been paying attention to the discussion, so he nearly had a panic attack when the tight grip around his waist eased and he felt hands gripping his hips. Mariku physically lifted him and turned him around so that they were facing each other. There was such naked concern in his yami's eyes that he had to look away - or at least, he tried. One of Mariku's hands cupped his face and forced him to make eye contact. Even when he struggled, Mariku still refused to release him.

"Let go!" Malik hissed.

"There's nothing to be afraid of, Kitten," Mariku told him, ignoring the command. "I felt your fear when he showed up on the screen. Your father can't hurt you anymore. I'll protect you." His voice was low and soothing, and it was accompanied by a pulse of warmth across their bond. Malik stopped fighting and squeezed his eyes shut, realizing that he'd forgotten about that.

"You're spying on me," he said shakily.

Mariku just chuckled and kissed him on the forehead, then both cheeks, the tip of his nose, and then finally, on the mouth. The gentle contact broke the last of Malik's resistance, and in spite of his best efforts, he felt the tears beginning to fall and could do nothing to stop it. He buried his face in Mariku's shoulder, his body shaking with the force of his sobs. Gentle hands stroked his hair comfortingly, and it was just as well that Malik wasn't looking, because he probably wouldn't have felt very comforted by the expression of pure rage that flashed across Mariku's face.

**GMA**

As the pain slowly left his aching body and Hafiz retreated, Yuugi slumped back against the sheets and gasped for breath that didn't want to come. Every time that button was pressed, it felt as though someone was sliding a hundred boiling hot knives into his flesh, and somehow each time managed to be worse than the last. His muscles no longer wanted to obey him, and he could feel himself shaking uncontrollably from the after effects. It was so, so tempting to just close his eyes and slip away into the comforting darkness that reminded him of Yami, but he managed to force his eyes open and look in the direction of Pegasus, hoping for the chance to get some sort of message to his friends.

Unfortunately, Pegasus had already had the camera switched off. He turned in the direction of Hafiz with an expression on his face like that of an eager puppy. "Was that alright, yami?" he asked anxiously.

Yuugi blinked, his eyes wide with astonishment. _Yami_? Was there more to the relationship between Pegasus and Malik's father than he'd realized? He'd recognized Hafiz the moment the man had entered the room, even though he hadn't seen him more than a handful of times before. Malik had always gone out of his way to keep Yuugi and Ryou away from his father, and having seen the cruel pleasure in Hafiz's eyes as he watched Yuugi writhe in pain, he could understand why.

"You did well," Hafiz said, pulling Yuugi from his thoughts. "There's no way those brats will risk not coming. They'll be here within a few days, and then we can finally get the Millennium Items from them." His eyes gleamed with excitement.

Pegasus nodded as a dreamy look came into his eyes. "And then I'll be able to see Cynthia again, right?" he asked.

"Yeah, whatever," muttered Hafiz, turning back to Yuugi. He seemed to enjoy the way that Yuugi flinched the second he realized Hafiz's attention had returned. A smirk spread across his face as he advanced again and reached out, sliding one finger tauntingly down Yuugi's stomach. "You're a pretty little thing," he observed.

"What are you doing?" Pegasus's voice was sharp, with none of the childishness that had been present seconds before. He took a step forward and reached out to grip Hafiz's wrist, pulling his hand away from Yuugi. "You already scared them enough into coming. There's no need to keep pretending. We made a deal, yami."

"They'll want him back no matter what condition he's in. Look, let me worry about this. You just think about getting Cynthia back." The word 'Cynthia' was almost like a magic trigger. Pegasus's shoulders slumped as the tension left his body and he nodded happily, allowing Hafiz to guide him to the door. Yuugi shivered as the two of them went out together and remained tense for several minutes, half-afraid that Hafiz would return. When the man didn't, he gradually relaxed.

After a few minutes, the door did open again, but it was only the tall woman with long, curly blonde hair who had been taking care of him since he arrived. She hadn't spoken to him, and her manner was always brisk, though kind. Today she walked over to him silently and, as though she knew that he was in a lot of pain, she removed the cuff from his wrist and helped him to sit up. Yuugi leaned against the pillows and examined the skin on his wrist, which had turned bright red and was rubbed raw from all of his thrashing. It stung when he moved his hand and he winced. The woman sat down beside him with a white box on her lap.

"Does it hurt?" she asked quietly. Startled by the fact that she had actually spoken, he nodded hesitantly. She removed a jar of ointment from the white box, unscrewed the top, and scooped a small portion of it onto her fingers. Gently, she began to massage it into the injured skin. Much to Yuugi's amazement, the burning pain began to diminish immediately, and he found himself wishing that he had enough for his whole body. Apparently, she knew what he was thinking, because she shot him a bitter smile. "Sorry, kiddo. If I had enough, I'd rub it everywhere, but they'll take it away if they realize that I've been helping you too much."

"Who are you?" Yuugi blurted out, blinking back the tears that had welled up in his eyes. She was the first person who had been kind to him since Maiden of the Moonlight had kidnapped him, and it was affecting him more than he'd expected. Her voice was older than he would have thought, and she had a way of moving that seemed kind of familiar, though he couldn't place where it had come from.

She paused a moment and reached out to brush a stray gold bang off of his forehead before she spoke. "It's nice to meet you, Yuugi-kun," she said with a sad smile. "My name is Kujaku Mai."

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Please review!


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N:** Aww, everyone was so upset for Yuugi. I know, I was too! A couple of people asked whether the story would go into true rape territory… the answer is no. I don't believe it's necessary, and honestly, I'm not sure Hafiz has that much of a death wish. Now, make sure you read my author's note at the bottom of the page because I'm holding a little contest of sorts. In the meantime, enjoy!

* * *

It was just after seven in the morning when Mokuba slipped out of his brother's bed and walked over to the window to watch the others leave the house. Admittedly, he felt a little foolish for his earlier display; he'd flat out refused to get up and see them off even after Jou had asked him to, instead preferring to say his good-byes while huddled in the bed. The feeling of Seto's lips tenderly brushing his forehead in a loving kiss still lingered, and he rubbed the spot and sighed as he watched the gates open. His brother hated it when Mokuba was upset with him, and he regretted letting Seto leave when things between them weren't completely settled. But... it was better this way. Easier to let Seto think he was sulking so that the brunette wouldn't look too closely at his actions.

The door cracked open behind him and Shizuka, fully dressed for the day in a pair of jean shorts, a white tank top underneath a blue men's shirt that had once belonged to Seto and blue sneakers, walked in. She crossed the room and peeked over his shoulder, but by that time, the car was out of sight. "Are you ready?" she asked impatiently, plucking at one of the sleeves on his shirt. Her lips parted in a teasing smile. "I'll leave without you."

Mokuba smirked as he turned away from the window. "No, you won't," he said confidently, grabbing the hem of his shirt and lifting it over his head. Shizuka blushed and looked away, and, oddly pleased by her reaction, he dropped his pants and quickly dressed in the jeans and t-shirt he'd deliberately left in the room the night before. Then he knelt and pulled two backpacks out from underneath the bed. He handed the bright pink one to Shizuka and kept the green one for himself, slinging it onto his back with ease. "Are you ready?"

"Yep." Shizuka nodded, pulling on the pack. She carefully eased her long auburn hair out from underneath the straps and flipped it over her shoulder. Mokuba swallowed hard and glanced away.

"We should go," he said, "before we get caught."

He and Shizuka had come up with their plan about two seconds after the tickets had been revealed to the room. They hadn't even needed to talk to each other to know what exactly their plan would be. Mokuba had known that there was no way that Seto would agree to let him come; his brother was way too protective for that, and Shizuka had the exact same problem with Jou, though it hadn't stopped them from arguing the point. Their solution? Sneak on board of the ship and stay out of anyone's sight until the boat was far enough away from the dock that Seto couldn't toss them overboard with orders to swim back.

The house felt overly quiet without the presence of the others. Mokuba slipped down the stairs, Shizuka on his heels, and walked into the kitchen. It was early enough that the full-time chef wasn't around yet, leaving them with plenty of time to grab food. She went to the refrigerator to get water and boxes of juice while he began grabbing boxes of crackers. He was concentrating so hard on making sure that everything fit into his backpack that he didn't even hear the footsteps approaching until someone's hand landed on his shoulder. With a yelp, he jumped and dropped the package of cookies he'd been trying to shove in.

"Careful." Anzu scooped up the package and cradled it in the crook of her arm. She looked amused. Mokuba glanced past her and saw Otogi standing beside Shizuka, who was making an unsuccessful attempt to hide the water bottle in her hands.

"Going somewhere?" Otogi asked, a small smile tugging at his lips.

"Yes. We're going to Pegasus's island," Mokuba said defiantly, realizing that there was no point in trying to lie. He knew that Otogi and Anzu knew exactly what they were up to. "Nii-sama and Nii-chan think that we're too young to help, but I know they're wrong. Pegasus will have all kinds of traps laid out for them and they're going to need us."

"It's true," Shizuka spoke up. "You know Pegasus can't be trusted. Mokuba and I were there - we know what he's really like." She winced and her fingers tightened around the straps of her backpack. Mokuba tried not to look at her. When they were willingly going back to that place, he didn't want to be reminded of what had happened there.

"Regardless, _we're_ in charge of keeping you guys here," said Anzu, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She handed the box of cookies back to Mokuba and turned so that she could look at Shizuka. "I don't think your brothers would be very happy if we just let you guys run off. It's going to be dangerous."

"Then why don't you come with us?" Mokuba suggested. "You're a guardian, too. It must feel wrong for you to stay behind when the people you were charged with protecting have gone into battle. You know there's no need for you to stay here with us."

Anzu frowned and squirmed, and he knew he'd hit the nail on its head. "It's too dangerous," she repeated weakly.

"Danger doesn't scare me," Shizuka said quietly, looking out the window. "What _does_ scare me is knowing that Maiden of the Moonlight took half of us out with no problem. She_ beat_ the Pharaoh and was able to wound Bakura and Nii-chan to the point where they couldn't fight anymore. Even Seto-onii-chan had trouble. Now they're going up against her and Pegasus when only Mariku-san, Seto-onii-san and Honda-san are capable of fighting. Isis-san doesn't really have the power to summon monsters, Bakura and Nii-chan are still wounded, and Ryou-san and Malik-san don't know how to fight. What do those odds suggest to you?" She faced Anzu with a challenging expression on her face.

Otogi glanced at Anzu and said carefully, "The kids have a point, Anzu-chan. I don't know about you, but I'd rather have my lover and the rest of them come back in one piece. We're all guardians here, and Mokuba-kun does have a point."

The older girl looked between the three pleading expressions that she was being hit with all at once and rolled her eyes. "Oh alright," she allowed, knowing that there was no way she could say no. Seto was probably going to kill her, but she suspected that he'd known this was coming. Mokuba and Shizuka had learned well from their older siblings; they weren't willing to give up when the lives of those they cared about the most were in jeopardy, no matter what the personal cost. She smiled sadly to herself and said, "Otogi-kun and I will pack our bags and meet you at the front door. We'll have to hurry, but do_ not_ leave without us, understood?"

Mokuba nodded, grinning. He didn't mind making the promise now that Anzu had given in. She and Otogi went upstairs while he and Shizuka continued to gather provisions together. In just a couple of minutes, Anzu and Otogi were back, leading him to wonder if the two of them had had their bags packed already. It wouldn't have surprised him, but he didn't say anything about it as he slung his considerably heavier backpack over his shoulders ago and followed them outside. Shizuka closed and locked the door of the mansion behind them before she turned around, a determined look in her eyes.

"Ready?" she asked. "How will we get there?" She and Mokuba had been planning to ride their bikes, and at full speed they would have just made it, but she didn't think Anzu or Otogi would be open to that idea.

"I called a car," said Otogi, proving her right. "It should be here soon."

Anzu set her bag down on the sidewalk and leaned against the gate as Shizuka and Mokuba sat down on the curb. Her heart was pounding so hard that she felt sick. Part of her felt like she was doing the right thing in going to the island, but the other part of her felt like she was making a mistake, and she had no clue which part she was supposed to be listening to. The thought of separating from the group for a little while had sounded so appealing when Shizuka mentioned it, but how could she just walk away when the events that they'd been preparing for were finally happening? What if she left and someone got hurt or worse? She'd never be able to live with herself if there was something she could have done to prevent it.

Someone moved to stand next to her, distracting her from her thoughts. She opened one eye to see a bright green pair staring back at her. Anzu swallowed her groan and muttered, "Please go away, Otogi-kun. I'm not in the mood."

"I know, but I'm going to make you listen, anyway." Otogi smirked and looked up at the sky. It was a cloudless, clear day, but there was an early morning chill that had caused all of them to don sweaters in anticipation of the cold boat ride ahead. "If you don't want to be here, then don't. We're going to need all of the help we can get, but if your head isn't in the game, then you're a liability to us."

"And you'd love it if I left, right?" The bitterness in her own voice truly surprised her.

Otogi looked astonished. "I never said that."

She licked her lips. "You implied it. I know you don't like me."

"For someone who can be smart, you sure are stupid sometimes," Otogi said flatly. When she sputtered, he added, "I might enjoy teasing you, Anzu-chan, but that doesn't mean I don't like you. I think you get in over your head sometimes, and you're way more stubborn than you should be, but you're also a good friend and very loyal to Yami, and because of that I think you make an excellent guardian. All I'm saying is, if you want to leave, then that's your choice to make and no one will look down on you for making it. Don't come because you think you have to, but don't leave just because you think that's what I or someone else wants."

For some reason, his firm words made her feel like crying. Anzu had to swallow several times before she managed to speak. "Isis-san told me that it was important for me to come along to the island," she whispered finally. "She said she had a vision, but she wouldn't tell me anything else about it."

"Magic." Otogi scoffed and folded his arms. "Honestly, sometimes it's more trouble than it's worth."

Her mouth twitched. Wasn't that the truth? Two years ago, when she'd been approached for the first time, she'd been positive that it was some sort of joke. Only when she'd been shown how to summon her partner monster had she realized how very serious things actually were. Anzu would never forget the rush that came from summoning Fairy's Gift for the very first time. After years of being told that because she was a girl, she wouldn't really amount to that much, that strong, powerful feeling had made her _want_ to be a guardian. She had wanted to protect the Pharaoh and the people he cared about simply because she could. But somewhere along the line, it had become more about payment, and she'd started thinking that because she had protected him, Yami would be hers as a reward.

"It's certainly ruined my life," she said out loud with a sigh, swiping her hands across her eyes. For although being a guardian was the reason she had stuck so close to him, she had no one to blame but herself for having lost sight of what was really important. If she'd been more willing to remember that she was a guardian for the sake of protecting, and not for a reward, things might not have turned out so poorly. She might have been able to fight against Maiden of the Moonlight's powerful spell instead of succumbing to it so easily. Anzu closed her eyes, knowing that she had a lot of making up to do.

Beside her, Otogi moved, and she glanced up to see that the car had arrived. The slender young man opened up the door and waved a hand at Shizuka and Mokuba, ushering them inside. He waited until the two pre-teens had climbed in before he turned and looked at Anzu. Silently, he raised an eyebrow, clearly asking what her choice was. Anzu hesitated, wavering, wondering what the right decision was. It occurred to her that maybe if she helped them, Yami would be more willing to forgive her, and they could start over again as just friends. With that thought in mind, Anzu stepped forward and got into the car.

**GMA**

Ryou had never actually been on a boat that was out on the water before. Their brief visit to the _Cynthia_ when it was docked had been his first time on a boat period, and he couldn't help feeling a little nervous as they walked up the gangplank. He did his best to hide it, though he had the feeling that Bakura wasn't fooled. His yami kept giving him amused looks when no one else was watching. That was alright, though. All he had to do in response was smile slowly and wink and Bakura would spin around so fast that he nearly fell over. Fortunately, Mariku had yet to notice, or the endless ribbing that would have resulted would have put Bakura into an even worse mood than Ryou's small amount of teasing.

There was no one around on the _Cynthia_ when they arrived. It was only once they were all onboard that the workers came out of hiding. People dressed in crisp white and black sailing uniforms began to bustle around them like their group didn't exist. Even when Seto made an attempt to approach someone, he was carefully ignored, which cause the brunette's eyes to turn an interesting shade of icy blue. Seto Kaiba did not do well with being ignored, especially in a situation like the one they were facing. Before he could do anything, though, someone cleared their throat, and Ryou turned to see a tall man looking at them.

"Good evening," he greeted the group in general. His eyes were hidden by a pair of dark sunglasses, but Ryou could still feel the strength of that stare, and he shifted uneasily. "I have been sent to escort you to Illusion Island under the orders of Pegasus-sama. The crew has been instructed not to speak with you under any circumstances, and pressing the matter will not do you any good. It will only result in you being ignored and their getting into trouble."

Seto scowled, clearly not liking the idea that they would be so cut off. "How are we supposed to function on this boat if we are being ignored?" he demanded.

"Your every need has been taken care of, and if you will follow me, I'll show you to your rooms. My name is Croquet and I will be at your service until you arrive at the island." He inclined his head slightly and beckoned to them with his hand.

When the others began to follow, Ryou hung back, not quite ready to go under the deck yet. He waved Bakura on when his yami glanced back at him, then wandered over to the railing and leaned against the side, watching the water below. It looked dark and unwelcoming, and he found himself suppressing a shudder at the thought of falling overboard. On the ride down, it had occurred to him that it would be awfully easy for Pegasus to set up a little accident when they were out in the middle of the ocean. There would be no proof that something hadn't just gone wrong with the boat.

"Don't think like that, Ryou."

He jumped and jerked backwards when he felt himself starting to slip. "Malik! Gods, don't scare me like that," he scolded his friend quietly. Even though it seemed like the sailors weren't listening to their conversation, he didn't want his words to carry. "I could have fallen over the rail."

"I might've jumped in after you," Malik said with a crooked, teasing smile. "Of course, I can't swim that great, so I guess it wouldn't have done much good." He was attempting to sound light hearted, but it wasn't working very well. His own doubts about getting on the boat had swelled the instant he caught sight of the worried look on Ryou's face. Having been raised in the desert, swimming was not Malik's strongest point, and it likely never would be. It was one thing to wade into a stream, but if something happened to the ship... he shivered and grabbed the rail. "I feel the strangest urge to get back to land at the moment."

A weak smile crossed Ryou's face and he instinctively stepped closer to Malik. "I felt the same way," he confided softly. "I was just thinking that if something were to happen..."

"Don't talk about it, okay?" Malik's face had gone white behind his tan. He put his free hand on Ryou's shoulder and squeezed warmly, intending to say something comforting, but what came out instead was, "Shit. Look over there."

Ryou followed his gaze to the far end of the pier, where he saw a very familiar young boy ducking down behind a box. The dim light and shadows were working against Ryou, but he was pretty sure he could just barely make out four people total crouched behind some of the boxes waiting to be placed on the ship. His mouth twitched with amusement. "Oh dear. I should have known that they wouldn't give up. Do you think we should tell Seto and Jou?"

"Tell me what?" a familiar voice asked. Ryou and Malik jumped.

"Would you people stop doing that?" Ryou complained as he turned around, one hand pressed to his chest. "You're going to give me heart failure."

Jou smirked. "Sorry."

"Aren't you supposed to be resting?" said Malik, chancing a quick look over his shoulder. He couldn't see any sign of the stowaways.

"I snuck out when Seto was occupied," Jou replied, shoving his hands into his pockets. He stayed well away from the railing. Like Ryou and Malik, he had no love for the ocean, and he was not looking forward to the two days that it would take to reach Illusion Island. "It feels strange to have _willingly_ come on board. I can't help thinking that we're walking into a trap."

"We probably are," Ryou muttered, wrapping his arms loosely around his waist. "But we didn't have a choice. We have to help Yuugi."

"I know." The blond nodded. He looked at the sailors milling around them and made sure that no one was listening or paying them any attention before he took a step forward, using his height to conceal what he was doing. Ryou gasped and Malik stiffened when he unclenched his fists, revealing two golden puzzle pieces that he had been hiding in his pockets.

"What are you doing with those?" Malik hissed.

"You know that Seto brought the Millennium Puzzle along, just like that snake wanted," Jou told them softly, knowing how easily words could carry over water. "He wants us to keep the pieces with us for safety and that's fine, but I think it's a bad idea to have all of the puzzle pieces together in one place, just in case Pegasus _does _decide to pull something." He looked between the two of them. "I mean, come on, you _know_ Yuugi. He'd solve the puzzle in a heartbeat if he thought that one of us was in danger, no matter what the cost. And that goes double for him if he hears that Yami is trapped inside. I'm just tryin' to prevent a disaster."

Put like that, it suddenly sounded reasonable. Ryou stared at the piece of the puzzle, still feeling apprehensive. "But why_ us_?" he asked, sounding bewildered. "Surely Bakura and Mariku would be the better choice. I mean, we already have our own items to look after."

"Who does Yuugi trust more?" Jou replied, raising an eyebrow. "I _could_ give the pieces to Bakura and Mariku, but…" He paused briefly, not sure how to put his uncertainty into words that wouldn't offend the hikaris. He would trust Bakura and Mariku with his life, but Yami was so much _more_ than that, and darkness could get out of control so easily… Malik's eyes narrowed at his hesitation, but Jou pretended not to notice. Desperation filled his eyes as he said, "Please take them."

Ryou chewed his lip for a moment longer, unsure of whether he really wanted to take possession of one of the pieces of the Millennium Puzzle. He already had the Millennium Ring to watch over, and adding a puzzle piece would be that much extra danger. But how could he say no? In just a few short weeks, Yami had become everything to Yuugi, and their friend would be crushed if anything happened to his darkness. It was their responsibility to look after Yami in Yuugi's absence, and that meant... he sighed, realizing he'd effectively talked himself into it, and reached out to take the piece. The gold felt cold and heavy between his fingers as he cradled it gingerly. A moment later, after making a face, Malik took the other one.

"Thank you," Jou said, relief shining in his amber eyes. "Put them somewhere safe, alright? Don't tell anyone you have them. I mean, I know you have your mind links, so it's pretty hard to keep things from your yamis, but do the best you can."

"Mind link?" Malik's head snapped up and he nearly dropped the Puzzle piece. "What do you mean, mind link? Mariku can't read my mind." He sounded panicked at the idea.

Jou almost choked. "Did I say mind link?" he asked, sounding horrified. "I meant your bond. Yeah. Sorry, my mind gets the terms mixed up sometimes. Oh, look at that, I think we're setting off. I'm just going to…" The second his friends turned to watch the gangplank being drawn, Jou took off, deciding that he'd rather face an angry lover than two inquisitive hikaris. At least he knew how to shut Seto up.

"That little…" Malik turned back to watch him go with exasperation.

"He was right, you know," Ryou observed, sliding the piece into his pocket and grabbing Malik's hand. His heart was pounding and he felt worse than ever at the thought of going out onto the ocean, but there was no turning back. The deck of the boat shuddered gently as the engines were switched on. Ropes were untied and the anchor hoisted, and then they were drifting away from the dock. He noticed that Malik's face was very pale and that the blond was gripping Ryou tightly in return.

"Guess it's too late to turn back now," Malik muttered, looking very much as though he wished he could swim so that he could jump over the railing and swim back to shore. Once the boat was a fair distance from the pier, the propellers kicked in and they began moving at a steady pace across the waves. "Do you think that they got on in time?"

"Who?" It took Ryou a minute to remember who Malik was talking about. Instinctively, he glanced back in the direction where they'd seen the others, but they were too far away for him to be able to tell if anyone was there. "Oh. I'm sure they did." Frankly, he hoped so. He was beginning to get to the point where he trusted Bakura to protect him and not just the Millennium Ring, but Pegasus had already proven himself to have powerful and skilled monsters at his disposal. Any extra help that they had on their side was fine by him, as he had the unfortunate feeling that they were going to need it.

**GMA**

Getting onto the _Cynthia_ proved to be both easier and more difficult than Shizuka had anticipated, and as it turned out, she and Mokuba were fortunate that Otogi was there. He apparently had some experience with this sort of thing, as he'd had the foresight to bring a strong length of rope with him. Shizuka summoned Red Archery Girl and tied the end of the rope to an arrow, which her duel monster then shot over the deck of the boat. Shadow magic wound the rope securely around the railing, and then it was up to them to shimmy up the rope to the deck of the boat without being seen. Easier said than done, but although she had a scraped set of hands and knees to show for it, they all managed to get onboard safely.

"Where will we hide?" Shizuka asked, licking her palms. The scratches stung, but she could tell that they hadn't done too much damage. It was her own fault for wearing shorts instead of jeans and neglecting to grab a pair of gloves.

"We only have to hide until we're away from the pier. Pegasus may have sent only eight tickets, but I suspect he knows we're coming, and he'll probably have given the guards instructions to not bother any extra passengers," Otogi told them in a hushed voice. "Come on." He led them inside the _Cynthia_ and below the deck, seemingly knowing exactly where he was going. Shizuka and Mokuba stuck close to him with Anzu bringing up the rear as they climbed down to the second level and entered a long corridor of doors. Otogi turned right and started walking towards the end of the hall. Neither of the boys noticed a door down the hall to the left opening. Isis, apparently unsurprised at their presence, stepped out and beckoned to Anzu, who looked at Shizuka.

"Is this your choice?" Shizuka whispered, genuinely curious.

"I don't know." Anzu shook her head and squeezed Shizuka's hand gently before she hefted her bag and walked back towards Isis. The two of them disappeared into Isis's room, and Shizuka turned and hurried to catch up to Mokuba and Otogi before her presence was missed.

Otogi had stopped in front of a door that had the number "21" stencilled deeply into the front. He pushed the door open, revealing a fairly large cabin with a queen-sized bed in the middle of the room. The room itself was decorated in shades of orange and red that seemed at odds with the view of the water through the porthole. Shizuka hung back near the door as Mokuba walked around, but Otogi didn't; he strode across the room and sprawled across the bed with a deeply contented sigh.

"Not bad," he remarked, wiggling to get more comfortable. "As expected, Pegasus knows how to treat his guests."

"Is that what you call it?" a familiar voice asked wryly. Shizuka glanced over her shoulder to see that Honda was standing right behind her, shaking his head at his boyfriend. He closed the door and added, "Because I could have sworn that we weren't exactly going on a vacation."

Otogi smirked and sat up, fiddling with his dice earring. Shizuka rolled her eyes as Honda's eyes darkened and he stalked across the room towards his lover. "If you two are going to spend the trip doing _that_, I'm out of here," she said, covering her eyes. After being around the two of them for so long, she knew that Otogi knew exactly how to drive Honda wild, and he took every opportunity to do just that.

"Then you'd better leave," Otogi told her, not taking his gaze off of Honda.

"You can't," said Honda, pausing just before he would have kissed his lover. Otogi pouted. "If Jou or Seto catch you guys around here, Pegasus will be the least of your worries."

"They can't do anything now," Mokuba said with a confidence he didn't really feel. "We're already on the boat, and there's no way to get off."

"I bet Seto would find a way," Honda warned, shortly before Otogi reached up, grabbed his collar, and physically yanked him down. Shizuka snorted as Honda flailed for a moment, his arms waving in the air before he caught his balance against the bed. She exchanged a grin with an equally amused Mokuba and slipped out of the room with her friend in tow. Neither of them wanted to be treated to another free show, and there were no doubts in her mind that if Otogi had his way, that's exactly what would be happening.

"I'm going to go find Nii-sama and Nii-chan," Mokuba announced as she closed the door behind them.

Shizuka raised an eyebrow, trying her best to ignore the sound of moaning that was now coming from the room. "Feeling dangerous, hmm?"

He just grinned and strolled off down the hall. Shizuka shook her head and headed back up to the deck, and, more specifically, the water. Unlike her brother, she _loved_ the ocean. Jou had always just barely tolerated it when they were younger for her sake, but she had never been able to get enough of it. As a child, she would happily spend hours at the beach until someone dragged her away. Something about the gentle rise and fall of the waves drew her like nothing else. She stepped outside and closed her eyes as the full tang of the salt and brine struck her in the face. It was like coming home.

"Shizuka-san? Has Jou seen you?"

"Not yet," Shizuka said, opening her eyes to see Ryou and Malik standing a few feet away looking at her. A single glance told her that they weren't enjoying the ride, and she felt for them, but the call of the sea was becoming too hard to ignore. "Would you do something for me, Ryou-san?" At his nod, she pulled off her backpack and held it out to him. "Could you watch this?"

Ryou frowned and looked confused, but took the pack. His eyes widened when he realized how heavy it was. "Why - " he began, but he never got the chance to finish his sentence. Shizuka ran past him to the railing, put her sneaker on the first rung, and hoisted herself up. Her hair whipped wildly through the wind as she swung her legs over and leapt off the side of the ship, barely conscious of the worried yells behind her. She sliced through the water like an arrow and revelled in the rush as the ocean closed over her head. Magic flexed in her hands and Red Archery Girl appeared beside her; the red shell opened and her partner monster popped out with an excited grin and a squeal only Shizuka could understand.

Up on the deck, the sound of laughter stopped the two hikaris from completely panicking. Anzu walked over to them and leaned against the rail, her eyes scanning the waves below for any sign of Shizuka. "I wondered how long it would take."

"Is this normal?" Malik asked, face pale.

"Oh yes. Shizuka has an affinity for water. You noticed her partner is a water monster," Anzu said, smiling. "Did she scare you? I'm sorry. I should have thought to warn you."

"No problem." Malik exchanged a doubtful look with Ryou. He had thought that having the extra guardians around would be beneficial, but if they were all as crazy as Shizuka, he was beginning to think that they might be more hindrance than help. Just what had they gotten themselves into?

* * *

Please review!

**Note:** In honour of the fact that this story is nearly at 400 reviews, which will make it my most popular story to date, I'm going to do a little contest. The 400th reviewer will have the chance to have a one-shot written for them by me featuring one of the following couples: Yuugi/Yami, Ryou/Bakura, Malik/Mariku or Seto/Jou. They can send me up to three ideas and I'll pick one to create a one-shot from. If the 400th reviewer doesn't answer my PM (or is not interested in a one-shot), I'll go to the 401st, 402nd, 403rd reviewer, etc… So make sure that you are signed in when you review, or else I'll have to skip you.


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N: **I love how excited everyone is about this story, and I really appreciate the wonderful reviews you guys give me. I have to say, when I posted this story, I had no idea where it would go, but I'm really glad that I decided to take a leap of faith that day! If you didn't see my note at the bottom of the last chapter referencing the little content, please see the bottom of this one before you review. Enjoy!

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In spite of the fact that it was entirely owned by one person, Illusion Island was actually fairly large. It was a beautiful island, really, with plenty of untainted greenery. A large portion of it was actually covered by forest, and it was, of course, completely surrounded by water on all sides. In the middle of it sat a large castle that looked like it had been taken straight out of a fairy tale. If it hadn't been for the fact that he had been kidnapped, Yuugi might have actually enjoyed a visit to the island. As it was, he rested his forehead against the bars on his window and wondered ironically if the castle made him the damsel in distress, considering that there was no end in sight to his captivity. It wasn't for lack of trying, of course, but every single one of his escape attempts had been thwarted by guards, and he was growing wary of trying again when every attempt was meant with longer periods of shock torture. He couldn't really feel his right hand anymore as it was.

Footsteps outside of his door made the young hikari stiffen, but when they passed harmlessly by, he relaxed and let out his breath in a worried sigh. It had been two long days since the video had been sent to his friends, and he was getting really worried about them. There was no way that Pegasus and Hafiz were going to let him just walk out of the castle; Hafiz had made that abundantly clear during one of their little sessions. He seemed to take extra pleasure in detailing exactly what he would love to do to Malik, Ryou, and Yuugi. The mere thought of some of the things the man had said sent fresh chills down his spine and he shivered.

Where was Yami? Why hadn't his darkness come for him yet? And why couldn't Yuugi feel him anymore? Lowering his head, Yuugi rested his chin on his arms and closed his eyes. Back when Yami had first told him about the possibility of their being yami and hikari, he'd freaked out. It had been nothing short of terrifying to know that someone could be so important to him; it made him feel far more vulnerable than he was comfortable with. But now that Yami was gone… Absently, he rubbed his chest. The ache had been growing steadily worse, like a cramped muscle that he couldn't relax, and he didn't think it was going to go away until Yami came back.

Was all of this happening because of Maiden of the Moonlight's spell? He didn't _feel_ like he was under her control, but then again, they'd thought he was free of her magic after he and Yami had faced the spell in his soul room. Maybe she was somehow blocking his bond with Yami even though they had returned to the real world. He shuddered at the idea. Maiden of the Moonlight's magic made him feel dirty on the inside, like part of him had been touched with something disgusting that he couldn't scrub away. It was a vile feeling that had slowly permeated every part of him, and at this point, he wasn't sure he'd ever get it off.

Frustrated, he turned away from the window and walked back into the empty room. After his last attempt late last night, Hafiz had made sure his room was stripped of anything that might help. The sheets had been taken off the bed, the mirror in the bathroom was removed, a small square had been cut in the bottom of the door so that guards didn't have to open the door to deliver food and water, and a small black GPS locator had been snapped around his left ankle just in case he did manage to make a successful run for it. There was literally nowhere for him to go, so he sat down on the floor; no way was he getting any closer to the chains that had been left on the bed than he had to.

"Yami, where _are_ you?" he said out loud, pulling his knees closer to his chest. He rested his chin on top of them and wondered how his grandfather was making out, whether the man had awoken or perhaps gotten worse. That was the worst part about being so cut off from the world. For all he knew, Sugoroku was dead, and he wouldn't even know or be there when it happened. The hikari closed his eyes, aware that his thoughts had gotten morbid, but he couldn't help himself. If it weren't for the fact that sight of his tears actually seemed to spur Hafiz on, he might have cried. Instead, he jumped and tensed when the door cracked open for the first time hours.

Kujaku Mai stepped into the room carrying a platter that had a plate with fresh fruit and rice balls on it. She closed the door behind her and walked across the room to kneel beside Yuugi. If she was surprised to find him curled up in the corner, she made no mention of it. Instead, she gestured to the food. "Are you hungry? You haven't been eating well, kiddo. You have to keep your strength up."

"Why? For more torture?" Yuugi snapped. He felt guilty as soon as he saw the stricken look on her face. It wasn't Mai's fault that both of them were trapped there. From what little she had said to him, he had drawn the conclusion that either Hafiz or Pegasus or both had something on her that kept her from running away or from helping him to escape. "I'm sorry, Mai," he said, softening his tone. "I'm just..."

"Frustrated. Scared. Lonely. Tired," she listed with a sad smile on her lips. She herself looked perpetually tired, like it had been years since she'd gotten a decent night's sleep. Her blonde curls hung limply around her face, and her violet eyes were filled with wistfulness as she leaned over and ran a hand through his hair. "If you want me to forgive you, eat something. It really bothers me to see you going so long without eating."

Yuugi sighed but reluctantly picked up one of the rice balls. The normally delicious food tasted bitter as he ate, and he had a difficult time swallowing. Mai produced a bottle of water which helped a little, but he still only managed to eat two rice balls and part of an apple before he had to stop, or he knew he would be sick. Thankfully, Mai seemed to sense that he had reached his limit, and she was all too willing to help him finish the plate. She was actually so eager that Yuugi couldn't help glancing at her out of the corner of his eye, realizing for the first time that it was all too possible that her slenderness wasn't natural.

"Mai?" he said tentatively.

"Yeah, kiddo?" She leaned back against the wall and snagged the last strawberry with a satisfied sigh.

"Why are you here?" When she turned to him with a startled look, he said quickly, "I mean you seem to have free run of the castle. Why not just… run for it?"

Mai continued to look at him as she brought the strawberry to her lips and bit into it slowly. Bright red juice burst from the plump fruit and threatened to trickle down across her chin, but she swept her tongue over her lips, cleaning it up before it could go any further. Only once the berry was gone and she had cleaned every last trace of juice from her fingers did she speak. "Sometimes things aren't always what they seem, kiddo. It's true that I'm not physically locked up like you are. I've had many chances to escape and over the years I know I've allowed more than a few to go by. I realize that might sound crazy to you. After all, I did have family waiting for me." Her expression turned pained for a split second before it smoothed out and she sighed. "But it was better for me to stay here than to try and return."

"I don't understand," Yuugi said honestly. He was remembering Bakura's outburst when Mai's name was mentioned. "Your family... you mean Bakura, don't you?"

"You've met him?" Mai said with a knowing smile, picking up an orange. She peeled it expertly and broke it apart into two halves, one of which she handed to Yuugi. He took it only after she gave him a sharp look that dared him to put it back down. "Yes, Bakura is my cousin. He was always a little pest. I remember I was so angry when my father took him in." Shaking her head, she laughed a little as she popped a chunk of the orange into her mouth. "I thought he was a weird little brat because he seemed so unaffected by what had happened to his parents. It took me a while to understand why he was like that."

Her laughter stopped as she sobered, growing more serious. "Bakura and I were close, hard as that might be to believe. We fought a lot but he ended up becoming my little brother. There were loads of things that my father taught to him, things that no child should ever learn, but Bakura took to them like he had been waiting his whole life for someone with that kind of information." Mai sighed, her violet eyes taking on a misty glaze. "I wanted to protect him. I suppose it's no wonder that I was made a guardian."

The orange was surprisingly fresh. Yuugi chewed a small morsel and swallowed before he said, "Is that why you're still here? You're trying to protect Bakura?"

"Sort of. It's hard to explain, kiddo. Let's just say that Bakura isn't the only one who needs my help." Mai gave him a tiny smile as she finished off the orange and rubbed her sticky hands together. "It's fortunate that I am here. Otherwise, you would've been left alone with Hafiz, and I shudder to think of what might have happened then."

Yuugi actually did shiver. He knew that the way Hafiz looked at him would be a key factor in his nightmares for weeks to come. "So I guess there's no chance that you could help me mistake."

"I said I let attempts pass me by. I didn't say they were recent ones," Mai replied, leaning back against the wall and sticking one of her slender legs in the air. A quick pull on her the leg of her pants revealed that she had an identical GPS tracer locked around her ankle. "Frankly, I'm shocked it took him that long to put one on you. Hafiz put these on all of the servants about six months ago after he got worried that someone might try to leave without his permission. Not that anyone could get off this island without them knowing, but he's paranoid that way. People accepted them because the pay and benefits are so good." Sighing, she gave a wry smirk. "You know, Pegasus was the one who kidnapped me and sometimes I'm not even sure if Hafiz knows that I was brought here against my will. I pretend like I'm a servant and since he doesn't know differently he doesn't challenge me. That's how I was able to come in and help you." She paused and looked at him seriously. "Yuugi-kun, if Hafiz knew I was a guardian, he would have me killed. He knows that I would do anything to protect the Pharaoh's hikari."

For a moment, Yuugi didn't say anything. He couldn't. What exactly were you supposed to say to someone you barely knew who would swear you that kind of loyalty? "Thanks," he said finally, realizing that the empty word seemed so inadequate for what he was feeling. "But I... I don't want anyone to get hurt because of me."

Her expression softened and she smiled kindly. "Don't worry. Like I said, Hafiz has no idea. And even if he did, he doesn't really consider the guardians as being that dangerous. After all, we don't have Millennium Items." The bitterness in her voice surprised both of them, and Yuugi glanced up at her sharply.

"Does Hafiz have a Millennium Item?" he asked. His mind was whirling from the information that Mai had just given him. All along, Yami and the others had been thinking that Pegasus was the dangerous one. But from the sound of it, _Hafiz_ was the one who was the driving force behind everything, and that was a chilling thought. He and Ryou had suspected for some time that Malik's father often got physical with his children, though they'd never had any real proof and Malik had always refused to talk about it. The idea of Hafiz having the power of _a_ Millennium Item, much less several, was too disturbing to contemplate.

"Not in so many words," Mai said slowly, moving on to a banana. Yuugi took the half that she had handed to him and ate absently, his eyes fixed on her face as she spoke. "Pegasus has the Millennium Eye. I'm sure that the Pharaoh must have mentioned it to you, but it allows him to see into your mind." She tapped the side of her head. "No one is safe from him. Fucking annoying if you ask me. Means he was able to tell who was loyal to him and who wasn't before he went a little sideways. Now I just wish he'd use it to look into Hafiz's mind. Might have stopped this whole mess ages ago."

"You think Hafiz is lying to him," said Yuugi.

"I don't think it, I _know_ it," she corrected. "Everyone knows it. Hafiz is a cruel man and he's only interested in one thing. World domination. Well, two things if you count absolute power as being separate from world domination. I don't know how he knows about the Millennium Items or what his connection to them or Pegasus is, but he's determined to use their power to further his own interests. He's told Pegasus things... things that aren't necessarily true. But for some reason, the idiot man seems determined to believe them anyway." Mai pressed her lips together into a thin, angry line and dropped the peel of the banana back onto the empty plate. "I know you won't want to hear this, but you have to stop trying to escape, Yuugi-kun. It's too dangerous. Hafiz is unstable and if you push him over the edge, he could really hurt you. And I don't know that I would be strong enough to stop him by myself."

Another shiver made Yuugi tremble. He wished more than anything that Yami could be there with him. "But if I stop trying to escape, that means I have to sit here and wait for my friends to come," he blurted out, frustrated. "They're walking into a trap. Hafiz isn't going to just let them leave, especially Malik and Isis-onee-san."

Mai winced. "You just have to trust that they'll be okay," she said. "Right now, I'm with you and you are my primary concern. Not Malik, not Isis, not even Bakura." Her voice grew softer at the mention of her cousin. "I'm only trying to protect you the best way I know how."

"I hate this," Yuugi mumbled, turning away from her. The GPS locator around his ankle suddenly felt a hundred times heavier now that he knew all of the implications surrounding it. If only there was some way to get a message to his friends... they would be coming into this blind, believing that Pegasus was the one to watch. It would give Hafiz the perfect opportunity to stab them in the back. He rubbed his head in an effort to assuage the headache that was building there and sighed. "Thank you for telling me all of this, Mai-san."

"No problem," she said with a wink and triumphant smile. It wasn't until she picked up the now empty plate that Yuugi realized the two of them had effectively shared the meal between them. Her information had been so fascinating that he had been eating without really thinking about it. He looked up at Mai accusingly, causing her to grin in reply as she stood up. "Sorry, hun, but it was necessary. The Pharaoh would kill me if he came to rescue you and found out that I'd let you waste away to skin and bones. You're small enough as it is."

Yuugi pouted. "My grandfather happens to be less than four inches taller than me," he said resentfully. "It's genetic, I'm telling you."

"I'm sure it is," Mai said with another impish grin, purposely ruffling his hair. She laughed when he yelped and balanced the tray against her left hip so that she could open the door. All of the amusement vanished from her face as she stepped out into the corridor, leaving her silent and sombre as she reached back and closed the door behind her. Yuugi's last glimpse of her was of a tired smile flashed over her shoulder right before the door shut with a resounding slam that he felt all the way down to his bones.

Left alone, he curled up into a small ball. He had to admit that the food had made him feel better, and Mai's cheerful, if somewhat sarcastic and annoying, attitude had livened up the otherwise depressing day. But now that he was alone again, his worries and fears were all rushing back. More than anything, he wished there was a way to get a message to one of his friends so that he could warn them about Hafiz, but they would be out on the ocean. Even if he had access to a phone, how would he ever get a message to them? The most he could hope for was that Malik and Isis would be able to put the others on alert for anything Hafiz might do. Because otherwise, he was truly worried about what the man might do to his unsuspecting friends.

**GMA**

Isis Ishtar looked around the quiet, dark cabin room and resisted the urge to sigh. Though each of them had been given their own individual cabins, her brother and Ryou had decided to share one of the larger cabins that had two beds so that they wouldn't be alone. What they hadn't planned on was that Bakura and Mariku flat out refused to leave their vulnerable hikaris alone, resulting in Ryou and Malik sharing a bed while Mariku and Bakura shared the other. Or at least, that's how it was supposed to be. At the moment, Malik was lying in the left bed, clutching at his stomach and moaning faintly, while Ryou was lying in the right bed with a damp cloth over his face and eyes. She was pretty sure he was still awake.

"Do you feel any better, Malik?" she asked quietly, walking over to his bed. She was careful not to get too close, as the last time she'd been within reach, Malik had nearly vomited on her when he was aiming for the bucket. Her brother had never been out on the open sea before, and apparently he was more vulnerable to seasickness than anyone had realized. He had started throwing up about two hours after they'd left the port and he'd been feeling miserable ever since.

"A little," Malik muttered. His face had a distinctly greenish tinge behind his tan, and to be truthful, he didn't _look_ like he felt better. Even as that thought went through Isis's mind, he groaned and lurched into a seated position, groping frantically for the bucket that had been carefully stationed beside his bed. She grimaced as he retched into it, throwing up water and bile because he'd lost most of the contents of his stomach long ago. When he was finished, he sank back against the pillows with a weak, rasping gasp, and she took the bucket from his loose grip and gingerly placed it on the floor before its contents could spill.

"You'll feel better soon. We're almost there," she said soothingly, picking up a cloth and soaking it in the bowl of water that had been left. She gently sponged the sweat from his face, wishing that she could take some of his illness away. The thought that he might succumb to seasickness had never even crossed her mind, or she would have brought pills along with her. That was the problem with owning a fickle item like the Millennium Tawk. It didn't always give her visions when _she_ wanted them.

"Not soon enough," Ryou said weakly from the other bed. Those were the first words he'd spoken in some time and Isis glanced at him, startled. The continual rocking of the boat had set off one of his migraines, and he looked as miserable as Malik did. He continued, "Is there no way to stop the boat from moving? It's making the world spin."

Malik groaned. "Please stop talking about spinning."

"We're almost there," Isis repeated uselessly. Ryou had brought some of his migraine pills along, but unless he took them before the headache really started, they didn't do much to help. She looked between the two of them helplessly, knowing there was nothing more she could do for either boy. "Do you need anything? Water, maybe?"

"Anything I drink, I throw up," said Malik.

"I wouldn't mind a drink," mumbled Ryou, inching the cloth away from his eyes. He flinched, as even the dim light from the single flickering lamp was too much for his sensitive eyes, but managed to squint at her. "If you wouldn't mind, Isis-onee-chan."

"Of course not." Pleased that she could do _something_, Isis rose to her feet. "And maybe I'll take another look around the ship's infirmary for some seasickness pills just in case we missed them the first time," she said, knowing that they wouldn't find any. Honestly, what kind of passenger ship had no such pills on board? It was doubtlessly a sick joke of Pegasus's, and it infuriated her, but for the sake of her brother and his friend she was doing her best to keep a lid on her anger. Malik would only panic if he saw that she was upset.

She turned towards the door, intending to leave, and stopped when it swung open. Mariku and Jou walked in, followed by Shizuka. Jou still didn't look like he was at 100% either; he walked with his shoulders hunched forward protectively, as the muscles in his back threatened to go into spasm when he tried to straighten up, but Mariku and Shizuka were whole and healthy, and for that, she was grateful. Shizuka was holding a fresh bowl of cold water, and she walked right past Isis and over to Ryou, where she gently took the cloth off of his face and soaked it in the cold water before replacing it. Ryou sighed softly at the relief and thanked her.

"Where are you going?" Mariku asked, looking at her.

"Ryou wants a drink," said Isis. What she didn't say, but which she suspected that he knew, was that she needed a moment or two of fresh air or she was going to become sick herself. The cabin had grown stiflingly hot even with the lights off, as they were unable to open up the portholes. Malik's illness seemed to grow worse when he could actually hear the sound of the waves crashing. She stepped past the yami and was relieved when he didn't doing anything to prevent her from leaving. For the time being, a temporary truce had settled between them based on the fact that they were facing a bigger enemy and had one goal in common: to protect Malik at all costs.

"Shall I come with you?" Shizuka said, looking over her shoulder.

"I'll be fine." Isis took a step forward and the world tilted. She blinked in shock and staggered, only just managing to catch herself against the doorframe before she went sprawling across the ground. For a moment, she thought that a particularly large wave had struck the ship, but a glance at the others showed that she had been the only one affected. Her stomach tightened with fear; she knew what was coming. It was a vision, and from the way the floor no longer seemed stable under her feet, it was going to be a bad one.

Isis didn't always receive much warning before her visions hit. The less of a warning she got, the worse the vision was. She normally tried to have her visions in private, as they had the tendency to wreak havoc on her body, and she didn't like how defenceless she was while the vision was occurring. Her father had caught her in the middle of one once, and she'd come to at the end to find him kneeling over her prone body holding a knife. It was one of the worst memories of her life, and she'd vowed long ago to never put herself into that situation unless she had to.

Biting back a groan as a familiar pair began to build in her temples, she reached for the wall and physically pulled herself through the doorway on legs that didn't seem to want to work anymore. Mariku, Jou, and Shizuka didn't seem to have noticed her unusual behaviour, so if she could get back to her cabin, she could have the vision and then force herself up again, and no one would ever be the wiser. She leaned heavily against the wall and stumbled down the hallway, breathing heavily.

Unfortunately, the Millennium Tawk was working with her. She felt the vision coming from a distance, like it was a car speeding towards her and she wouldn't - or couldn't - move out of the way. She dimly felt her legs folding beneath her body as she slumped to the ground in the middle of the corridor. The pain in her temples was agonizing as it began to travel down her neck into her shoulders. Her breathing picked up to the point where she was nearly hyperventilating as black spots burst across her vision, blinding her to what was going around her. And around her neck, the Millennium Tawk gave one burning pulse of hot magic... and the world turned white around her.

_She was standing - somewhere. There was no way to tell where she was because the light was so bright it was literally blinding her. But it was cold, and gradually she realized that part of the white light was actually snow. Snow? In October? It was nearly unheard of, and yet she recognized the gentle white flakes that tumbled freely from the sky and landed gently on her skin, like winter's kiss. She looked down at the ground and noticed that while she could still see grass, it was heavily frosted with a light dusting of more snow._

_ Except... her eyes were drawn instantly to the one glaring difference. Brilliant red and gleaming, fresh blood spilled across the grass, running in a thin river directly towards her feet. She'd lost the ability to move or cry out, so she could do nothing but stand perfectly still as the blood seeped around her shoes, staining them an ugly rust color. Instead of soaking into the ground, the blood remained pooled around her feet... and then it started to bubble. A soundless cry of pain escaped her lips as the red liquid grew increasingly hotter to the point where she could feel it burning through the soles of her shoes and into her tender skin. It was agony._

_ By chance, she opened her eyes and looked down... and saw a pair of crimson eyes staring up at her through the blood. She gasped and fell to her knees without thinking, hands outstretched to help. The eyes vanished, but now the blood was crawling up over her knees and hands. Panicked, she fought, not wanting to drown in the vile liquid, wishing that she had someone to save her, but no one came. It crawled up over her mouth and eyes, pulling her down... down... down..._

_Her eyes opened again against her will. Through the ocean of red, she could just barely see them. Six figures drawn in shadows with something looming over them. No –_ someone_, a figure cloaked in robe, with no distinguishing features except for a glint of gold where the left eye would be. She tried to move forward, tried to help, as the figure reached out and destroyed the six figures with a sweep of his hand. Then the figure turned towards her – and split apart into two things, a ring with a peculiar stone that burned like fire, and a strange, flat gold disc. The ring fell, disappearing into the depths of the blood as the disc grew in size until it was twice her size and height. She cringed backwards helplessly as it dove down on her and swallowed her whole._

Isis came back to the real world with a gasp that left her feeling muddled. It was always like that after a vision, like the last, sticky remnants didn't want to release her, but wanted to haul her back in. The almost overwhelming need to sleep clung to her as she fought to open her eyes and bring the world into focus. She felt disjointed and separated, like nothing was quite real. Words came to her ears as though they were being spoken from a long distance away, and it took her a minute to understand that someone was with her. Her head turned, sending a jolt of white-hot pain down her spine, and she found herself staring uncomprehendingly at Seto, who was kneeling beside her. Mokuba stood just behind him.

"Are you alright, Isis-san?" Seto repeated. "What did you see?"

She blinked at him, her gaze falling to his lips in an effort to figure out what he had been asking. "What?" she managed to say at last.

"Nii-sama, what's wrong with her?" Mokuba sounded worried.

"She had a vision, Mokuba. Help me." Rising to his feet in a single graceful move, Seto leaned down and wrapped his hands around her arms, lifting her gently to her feet. Isis felt her legs beginning to give out, but Mokuba was there on her right side before she could fall. The two brothers worked together to support her during the walk down the hallway to her cabin.

Inside, Mokuba turned the lights off while Seto helped her to lie down. The mattress felt wonderfully firm but supple against her aching muscles, but she fought the desire to sink into sleep and looked instead for Seto. Upon realizing that he was standing right beside her bed, she struggled to sit up again. Already, the crisp vividness of her vision was beginning to fade, leaving her with a scattering of images that made little sense when she tried to string them together. If she fell asleep without telling someone what little she could remember, she knew that by the time she woke up the images would be mostly gone.

"Priest," she gasped weakly, falling back against the bed. What little strength she had was utterly sapped. "I saw - snow. Blood. So much of it." She reached out feebly and Seto bent, placing his ear next to her mouth so that she wouldn't have to speak so loud. "Burning. The Pharaoh… the six, they're in danger."

"Did you see anything else?" Seto asked quietly.

"A stone of fire," Isis whispered, fighting to keep her eyes open. "The gold disc… it burned. It… I…" It was no good. Exhaustion was sweeping over her, dragging her down into the warm depths no matter how hard she fought. She was only vaguely aware of Seto tossing a blanket over her body and leaving the room with Mokuba in tow before sleep took over and she knew no more.

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Please review!

**Note:** In honour of the fact that this story is nearly at 400 reviews, which will make it my most popular story to date, I'm going to do a little contest. The 400th reviewer will have the chance to have a one-shot written for them by me featuring one of the following couples: Yuugi/Yami, Ryou/Bakura, Malik/Mariku or Seto/Jou. They can send me up to three ideas and I'll pick one to create a one-shot from. If the 400th reviewer doesn't answer my PM (or is not interested in a one-shot), I'll go to the 401st, 402nd, 403rd reviewer, etc… So make sure that you are signed in when you review, or else I'll have to skip you.


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N:** Thank you so much for the reviews. I love hearing from you guys! I almost hate to present you with a set-up chapter, but it had to be done. I did manage to slip a very small tendershipping scene there in the middle… so I guess it's not a complete loss. The contest still stands... will this be the chapter that does it? We'll have to see. Enjoy!

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When the ship docked at Illusion Island, in spite of the fact that everyone was anxious to get off, there was no rush. In fact, it was a good twenty minutes before anyone walked down the gangplank. Ryou, Malik and Isis all had to be helped off; Bakura was literally carrying his hikari, who was slung over Bakura's shoulder like a sack. It was an uncomfortable position, but Ryou couldn't find it in himself to care. Mokuba and Shizuka were walking on either side of Isis, helping to keep the woman steady on her feet, while a worried Anzu trailed two steps behind. Otogi, Honda, and Jou followed along with Mariku and Malik, who nearly fell to his knees and kissed the ground, he was so relieved to be off the boat. Seto was last to disembark, and that was because he had been searching for Croquet, who had mysteriously disappeared at some point during the last few hours of their journey. Not a sign of the man could be found on the boat and even in his absence, the workers refused to speak.

Logically, the only way for Croquet to have escaped would have been to jump overboard. It sounded far-fetched, but Seto wouldn't have put anything past Pegasus. He fumed silently, fingers unconsciously clenching around the straps of his bag, as he strode down the gangplank to join the others. He'd missed his chance to question Croquet, and now they were moving blindly forward into was likely a trap - literally. The second Seto's feet had hit the sand the plank was drawn back onto the boat, which began to turn. Jou came up behind him as they watched it scoot away from the dock at full speed.

"Does that make you feel as doomed as it does me?" Jou asked finally, feeling even more disheartened when he realized that the sailors on board were actually _cheering_.

Seto just sighed and reached out to wrap his free arm around Jou's shoulders. He drew his pup closer without saying a word and rested his cheek on the soft, golden blond hair, wishing more than anything that Jou, Shizuka, and Mokuba were back at the Kaiba mansion where they would be safe behind wards. If the three of them were wounded during this... expedition... he didn't know what he would do.

"Stop thinking about it," said Jou, pressing a kiss to Seto's cheek before he buried his face into his taller lover's collarbone. "I mean it, Seto. We're all here and we can't do anything about it now. There's no way for us to get back now that the boat is gone. Even if you called your helicopter, it would take hours to get here, and by that time, god knows what Pegasus could do. It's better if we keep going."

"I know," said Seto sourly, feeling so out of his element that he couldn't stand it. For the sake of the others, he was doing his best to remain as outwardly calm as possible, but it wasn't easy. If all of them lost it before they even got to the castle, they'd never have a chance at rescuing Yuugi or Yami. As tempting as it was to draw a set of wards, stake out the dock, and call one of his helicopters or boats to come pick them up, he resisted the urge.

"Come on," said Jou quietly, having a good idea of what exactly was going through his lover's mind. "Let's go."

Reluctantly, the two of them turned away from the tantalizing sight of the sea and looked beyond their small group of friends towards the forest. There was no discernible path to the castle that rose up above the middle of the forest. Seto frowned, realizing that once they entered said forest, there would be no way for them to tell if they were going in the right direction. Even from a distance, he could tell that the trees grew so close together that the sunlight would have a hard time getting through. Good thing he'd had the foresight to pack a few flashlights, but if they could avoid the forest altogether... Thoughtfully, he fingered the deck of cards in his pocket. It's not as though they could launch a sneak attack anyway, not when Pegasus had to know that they had arrived.

Mokuba must have spotted the action, because he glanced up at his brother and shook his head. "Save your energy," he said, silencing the others as they turned to listen. "You'd never get close enough to try. Pegasus has laid barriers, wards and trap cards all around Illusion Castle. Even the Blue Eyes wouldn't be able to get more than half a mile in before she was trapped."

"You know this from personal experience?" said Malik. He was kneeling on the ground beside Bakura and Ryou, but unlike his white-haired companion, the fact that he was on solid ground seemed to have gone a long way towards dispelling what ailed him. Already his cheeks had gained back a noticeably rosy flush that had been missing during the journey.

"We do," Shizuka said quietly, folding her arms across her stomach. "Back when this all was just starting, Pegasus thought that Seto-onii-san and Nii-chan might have a Millennium Item, so he kidnapped Mokuba and me to make them give it up. Mokuba and I tried to escape a lot." She fell quiet and licked her lips, allowing them to make their own conclusions and not deigning to mention exactly what had happened as a result of every one of their failed escape attempts. It would only cause unnecessary panic. Mokuba seemed to be thinking the same thing, because he nodded at her.

"Since we were guardians at the time, we were occasionally able to summon our partners to help us," he added to clarify. "It never worked and I imagine Pegasus has only gotten stronger since then. We're better off making our way through the forest on foot and saving our energy for… for whatever might happen at the castle."

Otogi was nodding thoughtfully. "Now that you mention it," he commented, "Even when Pegasus's helicopter brought me here for our meetings, there was no landing pad at the castle. I'm almost positive that we landed on the other side of the island, and then a car picked us up and drove us all the rest of the way. It's the only way in."

"Great," Seto muttered, visions of ambushes dancing through his mind. Now that the Millennium Items were in reach, there was no telling what Pegasus would do to get his hands on them. Quickly, he double-checked the shields he had placed around his bag to protect the puzzle, making sure that they were still intact. If nothing else, they might give Pegasus some difficulty if he got his hands on the bag and tried to open it. Anyone who did without knowing the correct passwords would get a nasty surprise.

Mariku thrust his hands into his pockets. "So what, we're walking?" he asked, not sounding particularly thrilled about that fact. Seto didn't blame him. Neither Isis nor Ryou were in any condition for a trek through the forest, and who knew how long it would take them to make it to the castle? Knowing Pegasus, it could take anywhere from several hours to days.

"Unless we can steal a car, yes," said Mokuba. His younger brother hadn't meant it as anything more than a casual comment, but the second he saw the look on Bakura's face, Seto groaned inwardly.

"Bakura - " he began.

"Save it, Priest," said the white-haired boy, setting Ryou down on the ground with an uncustomary gentleness. The hikari slumped back with a hand over his sunglasses, his face pale. Malik reached out and wound an arm around his shoulders, giving him something solid to lean against.

"We don't have time for your games," Seto said, wishing that Yami would miraculously appear. Aside from Ryou, his cousin was the only person who had ever been able to control Bakura even a little. Sometimes the dangerous boy would actually deign to listen to the pharaoh when he would ignore everyone else. "And anyway, you shouldn't be leaving Ryou alone in his condition."

Bakura glanced at his other half briefly before looking at Seto. Something flickered briefly in the reddish brown eyes, but the emotion vanished before Seto could identify it. "He's not alone," Bakura stated, and the implication behind those three words was more than clear. If Bakura returned to find that Ryou _had_ been left alone, someone was going to die. Probably slowly and painfully. Jou winced and took a less than subtle step backwards, dragging Shizuka with him. Anzu, who had been kneeling next to Isis, twitched uneasily.

"There's a building over there," Shizuka said helpfully from behind her brother, pointing to the right. Just barely visible in the distance was, indeed, a grey building of some sort.

"Let's go, then," said Mariku with a smirk, successfully distracting Bakura. He looked at Malik for a moment before he turned, heading with a long stride towards the end of the dock. Bakura followed, and after a long pause, so did Honda and Otogi with notable reluctance. Seto gazed after them, torn between going with them in an effort to keep Bakura and Mariku from doing too much damage and remaining with the others to protect them. Finally, he decided to stay with the rest of the group if only because he hoped that the two psychos did a number on anything that Pegasus owned. The bastard deserved it.

"Are you feeling better, Isis-san?" Anzu asked, a little more relaxed now that Bakura was gone. She studied the older woman's face with obvious concern. "You look pale."

"I'm fine," Isis answered with a wan smile, clearly aware that Malik was staring at her with concern in his violet eyes. "My visions sometimes take more of a toll on my body than I'm ready for, and I was not expecting to receive one so soon after my last one. Usually, they're several days apart."

Anzu nodded and said nothing more. An awkward silence descended upon the group, and no one seemed to know how to break it. Seto shifted and glanced over the others with a critical eye, wondering how they were holding up. Shizuka and Mokuba had sat down back-to-back at the edge of the group, with Shizuka facing the forest and Mokuba facing the docks. Jou was still standing beside Seto with his eyes trained on the spot where Bakura, Mariku. Honda and Otogi had disappeared. Malik was completely preoccupied with Ryou, and Anzu was fussing over Isis as best she could when the priestess didn't want anyone paying attention to her. The scene was, for the most part, normal - too normal. He felt ill at ease, like there was something he was missing. Uncomfortably, he unzipped his bag and slipped his hand into it. His fingers brushed against the box that contained the pieces of the puzzle and he felt himself relax slightly. For all of two seconds.

The distant sound of explosions made everyone tense as several disbelieving expressions swung in the direction of fire and smoke that was rising from the building only just visible from their vantage point. "Are you fucking kidding me?" Mokuba breathed, his mouth falling open when he saw a glint of gold rising from out of the smoke. Seto didn't even bother to scold him for his language. He just watched in stunned silence as two smalls dots appeared on the road, heading fast in their direction. Within minutes, as the fire behind them raged higher and even more violently than before, Bakura and Mariku became visible behind the wheels of two cars, both of them laughing wildly. Above them, Otogi and Honda approached on a small winged creature. Otogi in particular didn't look very impressed as the two of them landed, as the end of his ponytail had been singed by the flames as they made their escape.

"Never again," he vowed, emerald eyes blazing as he inspected the damage. "Never again!"

"Oh my god," Ryou muttered to himself, pulling his sunglasses down a little. He winced as the light stung his sensitive eyes, but it was worth it for the unobstructed view of the damage and his speeding yami. "I'm bonded to a psychopath."

"At least you're not alone," said Malik uncertainly, not really sure whether or not that was a good thing. With a wince, he got to his feet and pulled Ryou up beside him, steadying his swaying friend with a hand to his arm. "If Pegasus didn't know that we were here before, he definitely knows we're here now."

"And somehow, I think our chances of getting off this island alive just dropped significantly," Jou mumbled as Mariku screeched to a stop right in front of them. The yami looked more exhilarated than he had in weeks.

"Hop in," he said with a smirk, jerking his hand towards the back seat as Bakura's car coasted up beside him.

"With you two at the wheel? Not likely," said Seto, stopping his brother from getting in. He levelled a glare at Mariku and Bakura. "Get in the backseat, both of you. I'm driving."

"Who died and put you in charge?" Mariku retorted without thinking. His expression froze as soon as he registered what he'd said. Seto was pretty sure he stopped breathing, and in the other car, Bakura went very still, the amusement draining from his face. Slowly, without saying a word, Seto walked over to the car and held out his hand. Not a single protest was voiced as Mariku pulled the keys out of the ignition and dropped them into the brunette's hand before he got out of the car and slipped into the backseat.

"I'll drive the other one," volunteered Honda, breaking the heavy silence that Mariku's comment had caused. Seto gave him a hard stare before he handed the keys over. He would have preferred to have Isis at the wheel, but the woman hadn't looked well enough to drive. He turned, intending to ask whether she felt up to it, and stopped, blinking at the space where Anzu and Isis had been. It was empty, and there was no sign of the two girls anywhere else. Gradually, the others, realizing that he wasn't talking or moving, turned to look as well. Realization dawned harsh and fast.

"Where did they go?" Shizuka asked, bewildered. She walked over to where the two of them had been sitting and looked around, her eyes sweeping over the nearest trees and bushes. The forest didn't start for another good ten feet, far enough that someone would have had difficulty attacking Isis and Anzu and then making it back inside without being seen. "They were just here."

"Nee-san?" Sounding frightened, Malik let go of Ryou and hurried towards the forest. Otogi waved a hand at Mariku, who had started to get out of the car, and ran after him as the hikari charged frantically into the brush. He couldn't believe that his sister would wander off when the threat of their father was hanging over their heads, but what other answer was there? How could someone have gotten close enough to kidnap her and Anzu so quickly, and without notice? It was impossible. "Nee-san!" he called out again, cupping his hands around his mouth. "Nee-san! Where are you?"

"Anzu!" Otogi shouted at the same time, squinting in the brilliant early morning light. He could tell at a glance that they weren't around; Anzu's pink sweater would have been easy to see through the trees if she had been close. As Malik continued to shout uselessly, he knelt, peering closely at the ground in hopes of seeing footprints. But the ground was so dry that he merely sighed in frustration. "I don't see any sign of them," he called back to the others.

Seto's head was starting to hurt. They'd been on the island for less than half an hour and things were already starting to fall apart. "Alright, everyone in the cars," he barked.

"What?" Malik stared at the brunette with wide eyes as Otogi gently but firmly steered him back to the safety of the others. "I'm not leaving my sister out here! Ra knows what my..." He stopped suddenly, his voice trailing off, as Ryou glanced up at him.

"I'm sorry, Malik, but it's too dangerous for us to stay out here. We need to get moving before someone comes to check out the fire. Isis can take care of herself, and so can Anzu," Seto replied. When Malik still refused to move, he glanced at the car and beckoned. Mariku slid out, marched over to his hikari, and scooped the younger boy up. Malik yelped and began to thrash immediately, demanding that he be put down, but Mariku paid him no mind as he carried his lighter half back to the car. Ryou stood up, swaying slightly, and wandered over to the car that Bakura was standing beside. The two of them got in the backseat, followed by Shizuka. Jou hesitated, watching his sister for a moment, before glancing at Seto. They exchanged meaningful looks before Jou followed his sister. Otogi got into the passenger seat of the car, while Honda got in the driver's seat.

That left Seto in the front seat of the car with Mokuba beside him and Mariku and a very annoyed Malik in the back, along with their luggage. He, however, chose to set his bag down at Mokuba's feet before he got behind the wheel and started the car, still feeling uneasy about leaving Isis and Anzu behind. But what choice did they have? They had no proof that the two women hadn't left of their own free will, and there was no telling how long it would take to track them down. Isis could be odd like that sometimes, especially when it came to visions from her Millennium Tawk. And if they remained out in the open, they were sitting ducks for anything that Pegasus might want to throw at them. They had no choice, but that didn't mean he had to feel good about it.

In the backseat, Malik finally stopped fighting and hunched his shoulders, looking like a small child as he asked, "You do think she'll be okay, right?"

"Yes," Mariku said, his dark eyes meeting Seto's in the rear view mirror. Both of them were thinking the same thing. _I sure hope so_.

**GMA**

In the back of the second car, Ryou leaned silently against Bakura's chest and sighed softly as he gazed out the window. He could tell that his yami's body was tense, and no wonder. Somehow, the two of them had ended up in the more crowded car. Otogi and Honda were in the front seat, which left them with lots of space, but Shizuka and Jou were in the back as well, and it was so cramped that Ryou actually had to curl up on Bakura's lap. It had been mortifying at first, but Bakura had acted as stoic as always, and the others apparently just didn't care. Ryou wondered if they would even bother to react if he grabbed Bakura and kissed him. Not that he would. Because those thoughts were _totally_ not running through his mind.

He grimaced slightly as the car drove up over a bump. Okay, maybe those thoughts _would_ be in his mind if it weren't for the fact that his head still felt like someone was banging on the inside. The worst of his migraine had passed, but sometimes the aftermath was almost more annoying and difficult to deal with, as it left him with extremely sensitive eyes, dizziness if he stood up or moved too fast, and nausea. Right now, he was stuck firmly in the 'move and the world spins like crazy' mode. If he could have helping to fight Pegasus by lying down on the ground and not moving, he would have gladly done so, but as it was, he just wished that Honda would stop hitting every bump in the damn road.

"Stop squirming," Bakura hissed in his ear.

"Sorry," he muttered, slightly embarrassed and feeling worse by the second. His throat had a peculiarly tight feeling that made it difficult to swallow. Knowing what was inevitably going to happen, he fervently wished that he were anywhere but on Bakura's lap. The yami must have realized what was coming because he gave a low growl and leaned forward.

"Stop the car!"

"We can't," Honda answered, not daring to take his eyes off of what passed for a road for even a second. Perhaps the road that Otogi had been on before had been an actual paved road, but the one that they had found was more of a dirt path that wasn't necessarily wide enough for a car. Sometimes he was forced to slow down to a crawl as he tried to manoeuvre the car into a space that a car wasn't meant to fit through. He didn't envy Seto being the one in front.

"You will unless you want to be thrown up on," Bakura said grimly, holding Ryou at an angle to his body so that if the hikari lost the battle to vomit, it would go in the front seat. Noticing this, Otogi gave a squeak and punched his lover in the shoulder. Honda rolled his eyes and leaned on the horn as he slowed the car to a stop. Bakura threw the door open and got out, taking Ryou with him. They were just in time. Ryou bent double and threw up what little he had eaten that morning almost instantly.

"Eww," Otogi muttered, placing a tanned elbow on the window. "Are you okay, Ryou?"

"'M fine," the younger boy rasped, drawing the back of his hand across his mouth. Someone pressed a water bottle into his hands and he drank gratefully, spitting most of the water out to get rid of the vile taste before he drank again. He looked up to see Shizuka hovering over him wearing a sympathetic smile.

"Fuck!" Honda exclaimed suddenly. Ryou dropped the bottle and only Bakura's quick reflexes saved it from hitting the dirt. "Seto must not have heard me. They didn't stop."

"I'll call him." Jou fumbled in his pocket for his cell phone, hoping that the sharp little dart of panic that had gone through him at the thought of being separated from his lover wasn't visible on his face. He pressed the number 1 on the dial pad and waited for it to go through, but nothing happened. His amber eyes widened in dismay and he swore softly when he noticed the flashing warning at the top of the screen. "No cell reception."

"What?" the others shouted together. There was a mad scramble as everyone pulled out their own cell phones. One by one, each realized that their phones had the same problem.

"Get back in the car!" Bakura shouted, picking Ryou up. He winced slightly as his shoulder throbbed, but ignored the pain in favour of pushing Shizuka forward. "We've got to catch up to the others."

Honda slammed the accelerator down as soon as Jou confirmed that they were all safely inside. The car leapt forward and nearly lost the side-view mirror on Otogi's side to a thick tree trunk. He jerked the wheel to the left just in time and kept following the path as fast as he dared, hoping that they would catch up to Seto in due time. Five minutes passed, and then ten. No one dared to speak. Their eyes were staring hard through the windshield, straining for any sign of the other car. But after fifteen long minutes, Honda slowed the car to a dead stop and sat staring blankly forward, his hands loosely clutching the wheel.

"What are you doing?" Jou demanded frantically. "Keep goin', man!"

"It's no use," said Honda dully.

"What do you mean?" Shizuka forestalled her brother's explosion with a raised hand and a warning look. As he fell silent, she leaned forward, her hair falling over her shoulders. "Honda-san?"

"We're not following Seto's path anymore," he replied, sounding stunned. "I just realized that this road hasn't been driven on in ages. Look at how the bushes are unbroken. They've grown right over the dirt. There's no way Seto has gone through here."

Ryou sat up from where he'd been miserably huddled against Bakura's shoulder and followed Honda's finger. Sure enough, the path before them looked undisturbed. There weren't even any car tracks in the dirt. Honda was right; Seto and the others hadn't come this way. "Did they turn off somewhere?" he asked meekly.

"There was no where _to_ turn off," Honda said, frustrated. "I was watching for that possibility, but it was all dense forest. Where the fuck did they go?"

A heavy silence fell over the car as everyone contemplated his question. Shizuka and Otogi looked shocked. Jou was caught between panic and anger, and Honda just leaned forward and rested his forehead against the steering wheel. Ryou closed his eyes, feeling even more miserable than before. This was all his fault! "I'm sorry," he whispered so softly that he didn't think anyone had even heard.

"Stop apologizing, Rabbit." Bakura's hand trailed through his hair in a way that would've been called comforting had it come from anyone else. "Are you still feeling ill?"

He nodded without thinking and then froze, trying to keep as still as possible so as not to aggravate himself to the point where he would need to be sick again. The world was still spinning, just not quite as badly as before. Bakura sighed, and then a hand tucked itself under his chin and his face was being tilted up before warm lips fit into place over his. Ryou started to pull away but was stopped by the hand still tangled in his hair. Much to his surprise, he realized that under the pressure of the surprisingly gentle kiss, the world was beginning to stabilize, and his nausea had faded to the point where he no longer felt like he was going to throw up on a whim. His eyes fluttered open as Bakura pulled back.

"You did it again," he said, fingers brushing his lips in wonder. "Just like before." It was on the tip of his tongue to ask why Bakura hadn't done it on the ship, but before he could, he noticed the mild discomfort passing over Bakura's face. The older boy closed his eyes briefly and put his free hand to his head like it ached. Ryou, wanting to understand, reached instinctively for their bond and cringed when he realized that Bakura was emitting the same feeling of dizziness that he had just been experiencing. As Honda began pounding the steering wheel in frustration, he stared at Bakura in awe, realizing that Bakura hadn't just made the pain disappear, but had instead taken it on _himself_ so that Ryou wouldn't be suffering so much. Bakura must have realized what was going through his mind because he gave a quick shake of his head before grimacing.

"Don't mention it," he said in a warning tone.

Ryou opened his mouth and then closed it, realizing from the hard glint in Bakura's eyes that he would likely get his head snapped off if he did. "Thanks, 'Kura," he said instead, curling up and burying his head in Bakura's collarbone. He felt sleepy, as for the first time in days, the nauseous, spinning feeling had finally lessened to a tolerable point. Bakura said nothing in response, but his hand began a series of gentle circles on Ryou's back that lulled the boy to sleep.

**GMA**

During her time of being a guardian, there had been many times when Anzu had wondered if she had lost her mind. This was turning out to be one of those times. Actually no, scratch that. She had_ definitely_ lost her mind. With growing disbelief, she stared at Isis, who let out a heavy sigh, dropped her hand away from Anzu's mouth, and turned to Mystical Elf once the two cars had driven out of sight. The duel monster beamed happily, allowing the shield that had hidden them from sight to disappear when Isis said her thanks, and vanished like she had never been there, leaving Anzu and Isis alone. Alone. In the forest. On Pegasus's island. Yup, definitely crazy, though she didn't know whether it was affecting her or Isis or both.

"Are you crazy?" she asked mildly, just to be sure.

Isis sighed and ran a hand through her long black hair. At some point she had lost the little hood that she normally wore, leaving her hair tangled and messy. "I'm sorry for ambushing you like that, Anzu," she said, dropping the honorific and blatantly avoiding the question. "I didn't mean to frighten you, though I know I probably did. I was in a rush to get out of sight before the others realized that we were moving and there was just no time to speak to you about the plan ahead of time."

"Wait, you did this on purpose? You _planned_ this?" Anzu burst out, wondering why and how that could still surprise her. "Is this why you wanted me to come here so badly?" she asked, unable to keep the wounded tone from seeping into her voice.

A guilty look came over Isis's face. "Partly. I really did need the help of another guardian, and you are the one I trust the most. It was too dangerous for me to go off by myself. There are… _things_ here that I will be unable to face by myself. But that wasn't the only reason." Her expression became more serious. "You have a destiny to fulfill, and you must do it by going to Illusion Castle now, or it will be too late."

Anzu surveyed her doubtfully. "You're not going to tell me what this destiny is, are you?" she asked with resignation.

"I'm afraid not. It's important for you to find out on your own."

"But… But didn't that bother you?" Anzu waved a hand towards the spot where the others had been. She didn't even _like_ Malik and it had still broken her heart to hear him calling for his sister in such a frightened tone. He truly believed that something dreadful had happened to her, and she didn't understand how Isis could just stand there and not reveal herself.

"It bothered me a great deal," Isis said quietly. Something in her face told Anzu that she was being honest. "But sometimes what is necessary is not always easy."

There would be no arguing with her, Anzu realized. She looked around, knowing that even if she wanted to let someone know that they were nearby, it was too late. The cars had already left. Unless she wanted to go wandering through the forest by herself, she was stick with Isis. Sighing, she turned back to the older woman and spread her arms helplessly, hoping that she wouldn't regret this. "Lead on."

**GMA**

_Dark. Cold._

_ That was all he knew. All that had ever existed and all that would ever exist. The shadows swarmed around him, gleefully chipping away pieces until he had blended with them to the point where he no longer knew where he ended and they began._

_ But…_

_ Warmth. Light._

_ Things that were foreign to him…_

_ … were slowly coming back._

_ It had started with two thin beats, like little pinpricks against his frozen soul, reminding him of what the foreign concept of light was._

_ And now…_

_ … He could feel it, still so distant yet closer than ever before. Stronger than the two small pinpricks, like a raging inferno threatening to consume him. He wanted that. Every part of him, even parts he didn't know belonged to him, parts that he had thought belonged to the shadows, yearned to be close to, to be saved by, that sweet, enchanting, saving light._

_ The light was calling to him…_

_ … Soon…_

_ … He would answer…_

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Please review!

**Note:** In honour of the fact that this story is nearly at 400 reviews, which will make it my most popular story to date, I'm going to do a little contest. The 400th reviewer will have the chance to have a one-shot written for them by me featuring one of the following couples: Yuugi/Yami, Ryou/Bakura, Malik/Mariku or Seto/Jou. They can send me up to three ideas and I'll pick one to create a one-shot from. If the 400th reviewer doesn't answer my PM (or is not interested in a one-shot), I'll go to the 401st, 402nd, 403rd reviewer, etc… So make sure that you are signed in when you review, or else I'll have to skip you.


	31. Chapter 31

**A/N:** Thanks for the reviews and for being patient with what was quite clearly a set-up chapter. I hate giving you guys those, honestly. Fortunately, this chapter has a lot more action, and let me just say that I totally creeped myself out by writing the end of the chapter. Seriously, I had to stop a couple of times because I was shuddering. I'll have a couple more notes about it at the end because I don't want to spoil it. In the meantime, enjoy!

* * *

Even though she had spent months there, Illusion Castle still had the ability to give Kujaku Mai the creeps. She slipped down one of the long, seemingly endless hallways without making a sound, all in the effort to ensure that anyone who walked by her would be unaware that she was there. Not that it really mattered how stealthy she was: there was no one around, not even any servants, even though the entrance hall was filthy. When Pegasus and Hafiz were having a meeting, everyone did what they could to vacate the area just in case said meeting did not go well. Hafiz was well known for taking his temper out on whoever was unfortunate enough to be caught when he was in a bad mood. Most of her fellow servants would have deemed her crazy for taking such a risk.

But Mai was a guardian, and even before that power and sense of duty had been awoken within her, she'd never been one to back down from a challenge. Boldly, she sidled up to the door and placed her ear against the wood. Muffled conversation from within told her that she'd found the correct room, but she couldn't hear clearly enough to get any details. Fortunately, she'd been around long enough to know Illusion Castle like the back of her hand, including the secrets that the servants kept to themselves. She crouched, her nails seeking and finding a nearly invisible niche that had been carved into the wall. Her fingers danced along the wood, searching for exactly the right spot. When she found it, a small section of wood panelling flew up and clear voices poured out into the hall.

" - Master! I don't believe that it's smart to challenge them when they're all together. They're resourceful. You know that Dark Witch has already been sent to the Shadow Realm by one of them. He could easily do the same to us."

"Are you questioning my methods, Maiden of the Moonlight?" Hafiz retorted, his voice brimming with barely suppressed rage. Mai grimaced and crouched down further so that her ear was closer to the small square. She didn't dare sit even though it would have been far more comfortable; it was necessary for her to be able to make a quick getaway if someone came near the door.

"N-No Master," Maiden of the Moonlight said quickly, sounding frightened. "I... I didn't mean to... Please Master!" Her voice rose into a shriek of pain, followed by the sound of a body hitting the floor.

"Master!" Another voice followed, this one less familiar. "Please. She meant you no disrespect. None of us did. Without her the spell on the pharaoh's hikari will be gone, and there is a chance that he could escape. Please."

"... Very well. All of you listen to me closely. I am your master and I command you to do as I say regardless of what happens, understood? Whatever those pathetic yami or guardians bring against you will be _nothing_ compared to what I will do to you if you don't obey me." Hafiz's voice was dark with promise, and Mai shuddered, grateful that she was not on the receiving end of it. "I want the two hikaris brought back to the castle. Make sure that they have the Millennium Items with them or I will be most displeased."

"And... and the rest of the guardians, Master? What shall we do with them?"

"Kill them," Hafiz said dismissively. "If you can subdue the yamis you may bring them along as well. I should like to watch their faces as I kill their lighter halfs slowly and painfully." He chuckled. "But if you have to kill them, then you have my permission to do as you must. They will not be willing to let their hikaris go without a battle."

"Yes Master," several voices said together.

Mai jumped to her feet when she heard the footsteps approaching the door and quickly secreted herself in the small hiding spot behind it just as it swung open. She didn't dare risk looking to see the duel monsters that were leaving, though she dearly wanted to know what kind of monsters Hafiz had at his disposal. Her heart raced as she listened to them walk down the hall. Where was Hafiz? If she were caught, there was no question in her mind that he would kill her, but there was no way to leave without being seen. It took considerable effort to calm her pounding heart to the point that she could hear what was going on around her, but she managed it through sheer willpower. Eventually, she realized that she could hear his voice coming from inside the room. Though she strained to hear what he was saying, he was speaking in a soft whisper and she couldn't hear a single word.

After a few minutes, he stopped and she heard the sound of more footsteps coming, indicating that he was leaving the room. At the same time, someone came walking down the hall towards the room. Mai closed her eyes, ready to summon her partner monster at a moment's notice if it became necessary. Although she had hoped to hide her guardian status from him for a while longer, she wasn't going to take a battle lying down if that's what it came to. There had been far too many times when she had done that already. The memory of the last time he'd nearly gotten her alone still haunted her, and in all honesty that encounter had been enough to turn her off guys forever.

"Hafiz. What were you doing?"

Mai stifled a shocked gasp as she was jerking out of her thoughts, recognizing the voice. Suddenly, she was relieved that she hadn't gotten away after all.

"Nothing you need to concern yourself with, hikari," replied Hafiz, trying and failing to sound soothing. "I was merely giving the slaves their instructions. I thought you were resting?"

"I was, but..." Pegasus trailed off and an odd, awkward silence fell for a few seconds before he spoke again, sounding hesitant. "I had a dream about Cynthia."

Her heart twisted and she squeezed her eyes shut tightly.

"And what was the dream about?"

"She was... She said that I should leave." Pegasus sounded puzzled, like he couldn't understand why the memory of his young wife would have ordered him to leave the home he had built for the two of them. "She said that I wasn't safe here and that if I stayed we'd be together too soon. What did she mean by that? I'm here because I _want _to be with her again."

"And you will be," Hafiz promised. "I promised you that when we met. Maybe Cynthia was just worried because things with the Millennium Items are progressing so quickly. Women can be like that, you know. They're always afraid of success."

Mai rolled her eyes. She'd promised herself long ago that she would never allow Hafiz to lay a finger on her again, but at that moment she wouldn't have minded the kind of contact that involved her fist and his face.

"Maybe," the younger man agreed doubtfully. "But... she looked so worried. I never want to see her look like that again."

"I'm sure she won't, hikari. Now, why don't you go have a glass of wine? I heard that Croquet has returned. I imagine he'll have some interesting stories to tell you."

Patronizing bastard! Mai seethed silently and listened closely as footsteps retreated. When she was certain that they were both gone, she slid the panel back into place and eased out from behind the door, planning to slip away before anyone realized that she had ever been there. But before she could hurry away, she realized that she hadn't been quite as alone as she'd thought. Pegasus was standing in the middle of the corridor, gazing out the window. He must have heard her, though, because he started and spun around. His eyes widened when he caught sight of her and she bit her lip against all of the instinctive words that wanted to spill out of her.

"Cynthia?" he whispered, shocked.

For a split second, she hesitated, wanting to say yes. It would be so easy to make him understand that things had gone terribly wrong if she pretended to be his dead wife. There was only one person in the world that Pegasus trusted unfailingly, one person whose word he never questioned, and that was Cynthia. If she were to pretend to be Cynthia's ghost, she could force him to look into Hafiz's mind with the power of the Millennium Eye and see the danger that Hafiz posed to everyone. The old Mai, the girl she had been before she came here, would have done it in a heartbeat. But she was not that girl anymore and she couldn't bring herself to be so cruel.

"No," she replied gently. "I'm not Cynthia. I'm sorry."

His expression clouded over and he shook his head briskly. "No, of course you aren't. I apologize for having mistaken you for someone else. What _were_ you doing?"

"Nothing," Mai said sadly. "I wasn't doing anything at all."

"Oh." He frowned slightly and she wondered if he would take the time to look into her mind to make sure that she was telling the truth. At one time, he would have, but now the thought didn't seem to have occurred to him. With a vacant nod, he turned away and wandered down the hall, looking for all the world like a lost little boy with nowhere to go. She watched him leave until he had turned the corner before she sighed and went in the opposite direction.

**GMA**

Malik wasn't really sure when he noticed that the other car was gone. They'd been driving along peacefully for several hours when he stretched and noticed that their car was alone. At first, he thought that it was just because the others had lagged behind a little, and he twisted around to watch the horizon, certain that at any moment, their friends would come up the path behind them. After all, Seto certainly wasn't driving very fast, so it should have been easy for the other car to catch up. But though he kept watch for a good ten minutes, the car never appeared. A sinking feeling began to pool in his stomach and he turned back around to look at the other three boys, knowing that none of them had noticed. He dreaded bringing it to everyone's attention, but...

"Um..." he began hesitantly, "I don't know if you've noticed, but we appear to have lost the other car."

"What?" Seto slammed his foot down on the brakes so abruptly that Malik, who hadn't been wearing his seatbelt, was thrown forward. Mariku grabbed him around the waist before he could go very far and hauled him back, successfully preventing his hikari from flying headfirst through the windshield. He congratulated himself for his efforts by holding Malik hostage in his lap and giving the younger boy a quick grope.

"What do you mean, we lost the other car?" Mokuba un-snapped his seatbelt and squirmed around until he was kneeling on the seat. He looked over Malik's and Mariku's heads wearing an expectant expression, like he thought the other car would magically appear now that he was paying attention. When it didn't his face fell and he shot an apprehensive look at Seto, who was turning an interesting combination of mottled red and white. Moments later, the tall brunette had flung his seatbelt aside and was out of the car and striding down the road back the way they had just come. Sighing, Mokuba pushed his door open and jumped out to run after his brother.

"Mariku," Malik said a moment later.

"Yes, Kitten?"

"Let go of me." He aimed a sharp elbow at Mariku's stomach to get the full meaning of his request across. Mariku gasped in pain and released him, allowing Malik to scramble safely back into his seat as Mokuba returned to the car.

"There's no way to turn the car around and Nii-sama says he isn't stopping," he stated, sounding resigned and not terribly surprised. "Are you two coming?"

Mariku glanced at the wheel with a speculative look. "I bet I could..."

"NO!" Malik and Mokuba shouted together.

"Spoilsports," the yami muttered, pouting.

Ten minutes later, the three of them had caught up to Seto, with Mokuba carrying the additional weight of his brother's bag. The reincarnated priest wore an expression that, on anyone else, would have been considered panic. He was striding quickly down the path, and every few seconds, his blue eyes would flash with a pale light as he tried and failed to contact his lover. Mokuba fell into pace beside him without skipping a beat, while Malik and Mariku hung back a little, neither of them wanting to get too close. Malik glanced at his yami, wondering if Mariku would do something to stop Seto. Personally, he felt that it would have been safer to have remained with the car, but he wasn't crazy enough to mention that to Seto when the brunette had that dangerous look on his face. Mariku, however, didn't seem inclined to put a stop to things, either. He turned at last to Mokuba.

"How much further are we going to walk?" he asked in an undertone.

The shorter boy sighed. "I don't know. Nii-sama isn't going to want to stop, but we've already tried calling them and the cell phones aren't working."

Malik frowned at that and reached into his pocket, pulling out his own phone. Sure enough, there was a little message on the screen telling him that there was no signal available. "I guess we should have thought about that before we came out to the middle of nowhere with no other means of communication," he said under his breath, feeling stupid. None of them had been prepared for this.

"Just be glad it's not Mokuba who's missing," Mariku told him, slinging an arm around his shoulders. "Seto would have summoned his Blue Eyes and torn this forest apart to find him."

"Cheerful thought," Malik muttered. Normally he would've shoved the arm away, but it was growing so chilly that he actually welcomed the additional heat. Even after having spent a handful of winters in Domino, he still wasn't used to the cold and he dealt with it badly. As he snuggled a little closer, he spared a thought to wonder how his sister was making out. Isis hated the cold just as much as he did, but she didn't have a yami to keep her safe and warm.

"Nii-sama, please, can we talk about this?" Mokuba asked pleadingly after another few minutes went by with no signs of Seto stopping. He hurried forward so that he was in front of his brother, though he was practically having to run backwards to keep from being trampled. "We're handling this all wrong. We should be continuing on towards Illusion Castle instead of wandering around blindly. You _know_ that's where Jou and the others will go."

Seto finally paused and looked down with an unreadable expression. Every bone in his body commanded him to find Jou immediately but he couldn't deny that Mokuba had a point. This random charge through the forest was more likely to get them lost and the chances of them actually finding Jou and the others this way was slim to none. It was totally at odds with his normal logical approach to things. He sighed, giving in with a reluctant nod. "Alright, Mokuba, you have a point," he said grudgingly, turning around. "We'll return to the car, check to make sure that we're going in the right direction, and then keep heading towards the castle."

"Saw the light, huh?" Mariku said with a smirk.

"You -" Seto cut himself off sharply, his blue eyes widening at what was behind them. Malik and Mariku looked at him strangely and then spun around to see that the path they had just been walking on had disappeared. The bushes and trees had completely grown over in the span of mere seconds.

"What the hell?" Malik shrugged Mariku's arm off and approached the newly grown portion of forest carefully. He could actually see where the dirt path disappeared underneath the plants. Without thinking about the possible dangers, he reached out to push the bushes aside and promptly yelped when a vine whipped out, curled around his hand, and pierced his flesh with razor sharp thorns. "OW! What the… That plant attacked me! Let go!"

"Malik!" Mariku leapt forward and yanked him backwards, only the vine came with them, still clinging greedily to Malik's wrist and hand. Fresh blood welled up around the puncture wounds and fell to the ground as Mariku grabbed the vine and tried to use force to remove it. Malik whimpered in pain, his vision going strangely fuzzy. Mokuba appeared on his other side and tried to help Mariku pry the vine free but even their combined strength wasn't enough... until a blast of deep blue magic severed the vine in half. The three boys fell to the ground in a heap as the opposing force was destroyed, and Mariku quickly pried what remained of the dying vine off and threw it over his shoulder.

"Malik, are you okay?" Mokuba asked worriedly, leaning over him.

"I... I'm..." Malik fought to open his eyes. When he did, a strangled gasp of fear wrung itself from his lips. "Look out!"

His warning came seconds too late. From the forest around them came even more vines that grabbed for his three companions, sliding around their bodies and jerking them off of their feet. Malik sat up quickly - too quickly - as they were yanked into the forest and out of sight with startled yelps and cries. He started to get to his feet to help them, but the world tilted oddly underneath him and he staggered, only just managing to catch himself on a nearby branch at the last minute. Except... the branch he had grabbed was... breathing? For a split second, he squeezed his eyes shut tightly and wondered, why me? Before opening them again and looking up at a duel monster that he didn't recognize.

"Who are you?" he asked weakly, trying in vain to see past the black spots that were dancing in front of his eyes.

"Not that it will matter to you, but I'm the Silent Magician," said the kid with a smirk. "And it's time for_ you_ to stop talking." Calmly, he raised his staff and brought it down against the back of Malik's head. The blonde crumbled to the ground without a sound of protest. Silent Magician smiled triumphantly and leaned down, running his hands over Malik's slender form. He located the Millennium Rod and thrust it into a pocket on his armour before easily hefting the boy's body over his shoulder. He had every confidence that his master's forest would take care of the other, unwanted pests, and in the meantime, he had some precious cargo to deliver...

**GMA**

They have been on the move for what seemed like hours. The dirt path that they were still following had grown so small that they had been forced to abandon the car and proceed on foot as best they could. However, night had long since fallen, and that meant they could go no further. Beneath the thick cover of the trees that even sunlight struggled to penetrate, moonlight had no chance, and a few sputtering flashlights weren't doing much to help illuminate the way. Shizuka had tripped over a particularly high tree root and fallen, skinning her knees and leaving a nice bruise on her right cheek, before Jou had finally called a halt to their journey for the night.

Their one saving grace was that Honda had had the forethought to bring along materials for starting a fire. He and Bakura began tending to that, gathering wood and creating a reasonably safe fire pit that would not set them and the surrounding forest on fire, while Jou and Otogi went looking for the stream that had been their constant companion since they'd left the car. Ryou, who had been told to stay near the campsite, tended to Shizuka's wounds, taping gauze over the raw scrapes and smoothing a soothing balm over the purple bruise on her cheekbone.

"Better?" he asked shyly, screwing the cap back on the little jar. He knew that he certainly felt better, though whether it was because he'd slept in the car earlier or because they'd stopped for the night he wasn't sure. Unconsciously, his eyes were drawn past Shizuka and into the woods where Bakura had been searching for wood suitable for a fire.

"I'm fine and your yami will be back soon," said Shizuka, twisting and stretching her legs out straight in a test. The scrapes stung when she moved, but it was nothing that would impede their progress the next morning. It was more her pride that had taken the real beating anyway; her brother's fussing, while sweet, never failed to make her feel like she was about five years old.

Ryou's cheeks flamed and he looked away from her hastily. "I-I don't know w-what you're t-talking about," he stuttered, quickly gathering the little roll of bandages that Otogi had given him.

Deciding that she'd take pity on him, Shizuka refrained from teasing him as she rolled her shoulders before stretching her arms above her head. "There's nothing to feel embarrassed about," she remarked. "I don't like being out here, either, and I'm not even a hikari. This forest doesn't feel right."

"You feel it, too?" he asked, so surprised that he stopped his get away to look back at her. The pink flush remained on his face but he was too curious to care.

"Yeah." Shizuka looked distrustfully at the nearest tree. They'd found a little glade to spend the night in, and although the trees and bushes were about five feet away, she disliked being surrounded on all sides. She knew that she would have felt better if Seto, Jou and Mokuba had all been there with them. "It's like… an oily feeling, you know? I feel like I want to go scrub myself in the stream, but I don't even think that would be enough to take it all off. This whole island feels the same way."

He nodded and shivered, lightly wrapping his arms around himself. "Malik and I felt it on the boat," he confided miserably. "We thought we were just imagining things. Now, though, I think that's part of what made both of us so sick. He seemed to feel better once he was on the island, but I can still…" Pensively, he trailed off and nibbled his lip, uncertain of how to explain. "It makes me feel… wrong."

Shizuka looked at him with concern, but before she could say anything, Jou and Otogi crashed out of the woods carrying two collapsible buckets that were filled with water from the stream. Bakura followed them a few seconds later, his arms piled high with wood. Ryou noticeably relaxed the instant that his yami was within sight, something that she was unable to ignore. Unsettled, she stood up and walked over to the small group under the idea that she was going to inspect the water to make sure it was safe. The move also happened to get her close to Bakura without anyone else paying attention. He frowned at her when she paused next to him, standing so close that their shoulders were brushing, but she ignored his sour expression.

"Ryou is scared," she said simply, taking care to keep her voice quiet.

Bakura just looked at her for a minute, and she was dreading whatever would have come out of his mouth when all hell broke loose. One minute she was just standing there beside him and the next _something _had come from above and dropped itself over her head. Grey gossamer fibres stuck to her skin and hair and she couldn't contain a horrified shriek when she realized that it was from a _spider web_. A giant, massive spider web. Beside her, Bakura swore vividly as his hand went to his waist where he kept a knife at all times. He easily sliced through the webbing and - amazingly - stopped long enough to cut her free before he roughly jerked her to her feet.

"Free the others," he ordered, pressing the knife into her shaking hands. Shizuka swallowed hard and nodded, stumbling over to where she could see someone thrashing around in more of the webbing. Her skin crawled at the thought of having to touch it again; she felt like it was still clinging to her even though she made sure that it was all gone, but she tried to push those thoughts away as she placed the knife against the bulk of the webbing and pushed. It slid through easily, revealing Otogi's disgusted face.

"I have never been so grossed out in all of my life," he announced.

Shuddering, Shizuka quickly helped him to brush the clinging strands away. If he made sure that her hair and face were free of it in the process, she didn't protest. "Come on, we've got to free Nii-chan and Honda-san," she said urgently.

Otogi didn't have to ask where Bakura or Ryou were; both of them knew that Bakura would take care of his hikari. He was more concerned about the fact that the webbing was everywhere and that it had covered their only source of light, leaving them in darkness that was just barely lit by the thin streams of moonlight that reached them through the trees. "See about getting some light," he told her. "Keep your knife. I'll see to Jou and Honda."

It was difficult to see, and, considering that their campsite had not exactly been the neatest of places, Shizuka held the knife well away from her body just in case she tripped as she made her way over to the fire pit. Honda had already stacked the logs and placed the kindling around the wood, and all that was really left was for the fire to be started. She stuck the handle of her knife between her legs to keep it close as she fumbled with the pack of matches, trying in vain to get one lit. Her fingers were shaking so badly that it took her several attempts, but she finally managed to light one. Relieved, she tossed onto the pile of kindling. A small plume of smoke rose from the wood before the crackling flames began to spread, throwing out a circle of light that illuminated a nightmarish scene.

Jou was busy prying himself free of the sticky webbing. Clumps of it still stuck to his cheeks and hair and he was pulling it off in great chunks. Otogi was leaning over Honda, who had apparently tripped, fallen, and knocked himself unconscious. Bakura was kneeling beside Ryou and using another knife to cut the strands away from his hikari. Ryou was visibly cringing as he looked at his long white hair; the grey webbing had snarled his hair into hopeless tangles that would no doubt take hours to comb out. Beyond that, however, was all shadows and darkness. Anything could have been hiding in the forest.

"Not good," she muttered to herself, clenching her fists. It took a lot of energy to summon a duel monster into the real world, at least triple what it took to summon one in the Shadow Realm, especially when it came to a battle. Regardless, she closed her eyes and opened her connection to Red Archery Girl, calling out to her partner silently. Magic buzzed through her veins, leaving her feeling sick and weak as the monster materialized next to her with a dull flash of light. Red Archery Girl popped out her shell, bow and arrow at the ready.

Sitting back on his haunches, Otogi glanced up at her and prepared to summon his own partner monster. But before he got the chance, a long, slender leg reached out of the darkness and slid around his neck, causing his emerald eyes to widen in shock. Shizuka cried out and Red Archery Girl leapt into action, firing off an arrow, but it was too late; the leg hauled Otogi out of his seat and backwards into the darkness. Honda disappeared a second later. Bakura leapt to his feet, pulling Ryou up with him, and shoved the hikari in Shizuka's direction. She only just managed to catch him before he sent them both to the ground.

"Protect him!" he ordered, spinning to face the darkness. His fingers tightened around the knife that he was holding as a shadow trembled and detached itself from the rest. Shizuka choked back another scream and tightened her grip on Ryou as an enormous spider loomed over them and began spraying more of that horrible webbing all over them. She didn't really know what happened after that. Her hands, ears, eyes, mouth - everything was covered in webbing as Ryou was torn from her arms. The bitter taste of the webbing made her gag and she fought helplessly, hearing the distant, far-off sound of Bakura yelling as the duel monsters began to fight. Ryou screamed and someone laughed in reply. Her magic flared - Red Archery Girl had been defeated - and then it all went black.

* * *

Please review!

**A/N:** Ok, I believe that spider duel monsters weren't actually available until one of the spin-off seasons (I want to say GX but I may be wrong). But Inspector Haga used bug cards so I thought that spider cards weren't that much of a stretch. Also, yes the contest is still on... see earlier chapters for additional details.


	32. Chapter 32

**A/N:** I love the reviews you guys send in! You're all so wonderful. I should warn you that this chapter may be upsetting you're tender-hearted like I am. I nearly made myself cry while writing the end (there are times when I stop and wonder if I'm too attached to these characters… and then I just scold myself for such crazy thinking) and I hope it affects all you just as deeply! Enjoy!

* * *

Rebecca Hawkins tucked a few strands of her golden hair behind her ear and shifted restlessly. Hospital chairs weren't designed to be especially comfortable to begin with, but sitting in one for hours on end wasn't helping. She watched in silence as the nurse that had just entered Mutou Sugoroku's room checked the machines monitoring the man's health and made notes on the clipboard. Her eyes narrowed slightly as the nurse shot Rebecca a grim, sympathetic smile and backed out of the room. On the way out, she snagged the sleeve of a passing doctor and, seconds later, whispering filled the room.

"Who is that little girl?"

"Friend of the family, I think."

"Oh, good. I thought maybe she was a family member, but if she'd just a friend, then next time I'm going to ask her to leave me alone to do the check-up. She gives me the creeps. All she does is sit there and stare at me. It's like she's waiting for me to make a mistake."

"Just use your discretion. Maybe talk to her grandfather first. I heard he's a friend of the patient and that's why she's here all time."

"Yeah, but I mean, it's so weird, you know? What normal little girl wants to spend all her time in the hospital? She comes in as soon as visiting hours begin and she stays there all day, not even leaving for food. Something's not right with this family, I'm telling you… I'd never allow my daughter or my granddaughter to sit there for hours on end. Kids should be outside playing…"

Rebecca scowled and rolled her eyes as the gossiping voices gradually faded into the obscurity of hospital noise. Cowards, the lot of them! No wonder she had to remain behind and watch over Sugoroku; gods knew what would happen to the man if he was left to the mercy of the hospital workers. Granted, it wasn't the best job in the world: she was missing several days of college to be there, though she'd already caught up on the work, and it was hard sitting in the hard chair four hours. She grimaced as a cramp began in her left thigh and shifted again, trying in vain to find a position that was more comfortable.

A knock at the door made her stiffen. All thoughts of comfort fled and her partner was halfway summoned before she realized who it was. "Hello Grandfather," she greeted, relaxing minutely.

"Good evening, Rebecca. I'm sorry I'm so late, but time got away from me. At least there's an hour or two of visiting time left." Arthur entered the room and slipped his coat off as he gave his old friend a cursory glance. Noting that nothing had changed, he turned back at Rebecca. "One of the nurses has been complaining to me, Rebecca. She says that when she comes in to tend to Sugoroku you make it very difficult for her to do her job. Is that true?"

"I don't _say _anything to them," Rebecca said, which was true enough. Quite a lot could be understood with just a well-intentioned glare.

Arthur sighed and took off his hat. He looked a little lost. "Why are you still here? I know that you like Yuugi and that you want to watch over his grandfather for him while he's away, but this is getting out of hand. You've been here for days. It's not healthy and to be honest I'm starting to get a little concerned."

"You wouldn't understand." Also true. Rebecca had never explained her role as a guardian to the Pharaoh's hikari, preferring instead to let her grandfather think that her interest in Yuugi was purely romantic. She knew that as much he let her get away with, this was one area where he would have put his foot down and refused to let her continue, no matter the cost to his oldest and dearest friend. He'd always been a bit overprotective that way. "It won't be for much longer. He'll be awake soon."

"And you plan to stay here until he does," he said. Though it wasn't a question, Rebecca still nodded, and he sighed, taking a seat on the other uncomfortable chair that was right beside hers. "You know, Rebecca, I had heard Sugoroku mention that he thought his grandson had found a boyfriend."

Rebecca stiffened a little at the mention of Yami. She wasn't stupid; she'd been contracted to protect the _Pharaoh's hikari_. That pretty much said it all right there about the chances of any future relationship she and Yuugi might have. T Pharaoh was notoriously possessive - even she could remember that much - and the likelihood that he would ever allow Yuugi to indulge in a relationship with someone other than himself was about zero. But that didn't mean she had to like it, and she refused to give up just in case Yuugi ever decided he might be interested after all.

"I know," she said sulkily when she realized that he was waiting for a reply. Arthur eyed his granddaughter and - wisely - decided to let the subject drop for the time being. The two of them resumed their silent vigil over Mutou Sugoroku, waiting patiently for him to wake up.

**GMA**

Anzu had long since passed concern and was now heading into outright fear. For the past several hours, she had been dutifully following Isis in the direction of Illusion Castle. To help keep their location hidden, Isis had opted to go off the beaten path… literally. Every second step resulted in Anzu's feet sinking into knee-high mud, and when she wasn't sinking, she was tripping over tree roots. And to make matters worse, even though Isis was facing the same annoyances, the woman appeared to be completely unaffected by them. She glided through the forest as easily as though she was sauntering down the middle of a paved road. By the time Anzu hit the ground for about the seventh time, she couldn't keep herself from glaring up at the back of Isis's dress as her knees began to throb angrily and painfully.

"You _do_ know where you're going, right?" she asked, hoping that the bitter resentment she was feeling didn't show through in her voice. Night had long since fallen and she would have liked nothing more than top for the night, but Isis had insisted that they keep on even though their only light was a sputtering flashlight she'd 'borrowed' from Anzu's backpack. Shaking her head, Anzu sat back on her heels and ruefully rubbed her black and blue knees, wondering if it would be out of line to claim that the forest was actually reaching up and grabbing her ankles.

Isis paused and turned back to face her. The light shone briefly in Anzu's eyes and she grimaced as Isis said, "Of course I do. You doubt me?" and raised an eyebrow in a way that always managed to make Anzu feel like she was about two years old. Her fingers brushed over the Millennium Tawk, which she was still wearing around her throat, and added, "I can sense that we're drawing closer to another Millennium Item that is unfamiliar to me. If we keep moving at a steady pace, we should be there by the time the sun comes up. As long as Pegasus doesn't get his hands on the Millennium Ring..." Her voice trailed off.

"And if he does?" Anzu stood up and winced as she tested her legs. They held her weight, but she felt a great deal more wobbly than she would have liked. No doubt she would have a stunning set of bruises decorating her shins, knees, and thighs by the time morning came, not to mention the sorry state of her palms and wrists from throwing her hands out as she fell forward. She looked up and frowned as Isis turned away without responding to question. "Hey, wait. What if Pegasus does have the Ring? "

"The Millennium Ring can be used to find other Millennium Items. If Pegasus has it, he will be able to find us no matter how hard we try to hide." She kept walking, her voice taking on a breathless quality that made Anzu nervous. "That's why it's important for us to keep moving."

"You think he already has it," Anzu realized, jogging up beside Isis. Her heart was doing flip flops. Even though Isis would never admit it, she knew she was right. "You… you think that the others have already been attacked, don't you?"

"It is not outside the realm of possibility."

Which basically translated to a yes, Anzu decided, looking over her shoulder at what little of the dense forest that she could make out through the dim light. Every part of her railed against not going to see how the others were doing. What if they really had been attacked? What if they were lost or hurt or worse? Yet they were so close to the castle that turning back seemed pointless. She hesitated for a long moment before she started reluctantly walking again, her eyes pinned to the ground in an effort to keep herself from falling over yet again.

"Do you think they're alright?" she asked after several minutes of silence had passed.

"I believe that the others will do what they can," said Isis, which was an extremely round-about way of saying 'I have no idea'.

"And this_ is_ worth it, right?" she pressed.

"I believe so."

Anzu closed her eyes briefly in an effort to summon more patience and promptly tripped for the eighth time, though this time Isis's hand shot out and grabbed her shoulder, steadying her before she could fall. She glanced up, intending to say her thanks, and froze with the word on the tip of her tongue when she spotted the look of complete and utter despair visible to her for a split second before Isis's expression smoothed out. A strong surge of fear made her feel unbearably cold all over and she shivered as she straightened. Two sets of blue eyes met and a silent communication passed between them.

"I could send my partner to check," Anzu suggested hesitantly. "You know... just to make sure that they're not in _too_ much danger."

"That would leave us without suitable protection in case we're attacked," Isis pointed out. She paused a beat and then added, "Please do."

Anzu smiled and in the span of a heartbeat, Fairy's Gift was floating next to her. The duel monster had apparently suffered no ill effects from Maiden of the Moonlight's evil spell, for she had returned to her normal cheerful self. "Fairy's Gift, I need you to go and check on our friends. If they're in trouble, please help them. And let them know that we're okay, alright?"

"Okay, Anzu-chan!" Fairy's Gift chirped with a cute smile. She fluttered in a circle around Anzu's head and placed a kiss on the girl's cheek before she zipped off, darting in and out amongst the trees like a firefly. Anzu watched her go and relaxed, knowing that it would be only a matter of time before Fairy's Gift had reached their friends. If something was truly wrong, she had no doubt that her partner would let her know in some way. Isis seemed to be thinking the same thing, because she reached out and touched Anzu's hand.

"Thank you," she said softly with a significant squeeze.

"No problem," Anzu replied, suddenly glad that she had chosen to come with Isis after all. It was maddening not knowing how the others were doing, but the closer they got to the castle, the more she felt like she was on the right path. With a determined nod, she turned. "Let's go!"

**GMA**

Yuugi was back to looking out the window at the rising sun when he heard the door opening behind him. He twisted, a smile of greeting gracing his lips, only for it to disappear quickly when he saw Hafiz standing in the doorway, not Mai as he had expected. Fear flashed briefly through his violet eyes before he gritted his teeth and turned his face to the ground, not wanting to reveal that the evil man could provoke any such feeling from him. Hafiz just chuckled, amused by the teen's effort to pretend that he was unaffected, and walked into the room, surveying every inch with a quick sweep of his eyes. Satisfied that there was still no way for Yuugi to escape, he turned and beckoned to the guards that had been lingering behind him.

"Bring them in," he commanded sharply. Yuugi's head snapped up and he couldn't conceal his gasp as four guards carried in the unconscious forms of his two best friends. Malik's wrist was covered with streaks of old blood, and vicious purple and black bruising surrounded the parts of his hand that weren't red and swollen. Ryou had a large bump on the side of his head and most of his hair and parts of his skin were covered with some weird grey substance. Instead of tossing the two boys down the on the floor, as Hafiz had no doubt intended, the guards carried them over to the bed and placed their bodies down on the sheets with surprising gentleness. Torn between making sure his friends were alright and staying as far away from Hafiz as possible, Yuugi hesitated, his eyes darting quick, nervous glances at the bed. He jumped when a black pack landed at his feet and looked up to see Hafiz looming over him. Instinctively, he cringed, half expecting a blow that never came.

"You _will _take the Millennium Puzzle out of that bag and solve it," Hafiz ordered, his twisted eyes gleaming. "I wanted it completed by the time the sun comes up tomorrow. If you don't, I'll make sure your friends suffer the consequences."

"Solve it?" Yuugi stared down at the bag with wide eyes, his mind whirling. Had the puzzle been broken? When had that happened? Then he processed the rest of what Hafiz had said. "By tomorrow morning? That's impossible. It took me years to solve it the first time around. I couldn't possibly – "

The rest of his protest was cut off by Hafiz's hand, which impacted with the side of his jaw and sent him reeling into the wall. He bounced off and fell to his knees, dazed, as Hafiz reached down and curled his fingers into the collar of Yuugi's shirt. Hauling the young boy up, he snarled, "You listen to me, you little brat. Solve the puzzle by tomorrow morning, or, for every extra hour it takes, I'll take it out on your precious friends. And believe me; you haven't seen even a_ hint_ of what I can do."

A whimper caught in Yuugi's throat. "I... I understand," he said breathlessly. "Please don't hurt them."

"Just do as you're told and that won't be necessary." Hafiz dropped the boy back on the ground and spun on his heel. He marched out without looking back, snapping his fingers to hasten his guards along. The cell door slammed shut behind them, leaving Yuugi alone. For several minutes, he remained huddled in the corner, fearful that Hafiz might change his mind and return. When nothing happened, he eventually crept forth and rushed over to the bed.

"Ryou?" he said urgently, leaning over his two friends. "Malik? Can you hear me?" Now that he had the chance to examine them more closely, he saw that they didn't look good. Ryou's face was as pale as his hair, and the heat radiating off of Malik spoke of infection. Yuugi leaned his head against the sheets helplessly, agonized by the thought that he couldn't do anything for either of them except hope.

After a short time of resting, he lifted his head, backed away from the bed and quietly walked over to the bag that Hafiz had thrown at him. It was made from such high quality material that he instantly knew it had to belong to Seto. What puzzled him was why Hafiz had bothered to give him the bag at all. If the puzzle had been shattered, why not merely hand over the pieces? The man had been completely paranoid about not allowing Yuugi even the slightest opportunity to escape, so why would he risk handing something over to Yuugi that could potentially be used for that purpose? Hafiz didn't know what Seto had packed in there. A grim smile crossed the hikari's face as the answer occurred to him: traps. Seto was exactly the kind of person who would place strong wards and traps around something that he did not want other people having access to. No doubt Hafiz had figured out the same thing and wanted Yuugi to be the target if it was true.

"Well this is wonderful," he muttered. He had no choice but to open the bag, regardless of what could happen. All he could do was pray that Seto's magic wouldn't do anything too horrible. It didn't sound like the best plan but what else could he do? Hafiz had made it clear that his friends would suffer if he didn't solve the puzzle in the next twenty-four hours, so leaving it alone wasn't an option. Maybe if he could solve the puzzle before the man returned, he could somehow use its shadow powers to escape somehow?

With renewed determination, he sat down on the floor with the bag between his legs and reached for the first two sets of clasps. They unsnapped easily, allowing him to cautiously lift the top. Nothing happened and he breathed a nearly silent sigh of relief at having gotten even this far without being attacked. Had Seto not set traps after all? Or did the priest's magic recognize him in some way? Or maybe, he reflected as he reached for the last set of clasps that were still keeping the top of the bag shut, Seto had been hoping to lull someone into a false sense of security.

He hated being right. The instant the tips of his fingers brushed against the clasps, agonizing pain shot up his hand. Gasping, he tried to pull back, but it felt like someone was holding his hand and preventing him from moving it away. Unable to keep from crying out as the burning feeling began to rapidly spread up his arm towards his shoulder, he thrust out with his opposite hand, trying to shove the bag further away instead. A weird tingling sensation that was vaguely familiar shot through his hand and emerged in the form of a white light that leapt free of his fingers and surrounded the bag, sinking swiftly into the material. Dim blue light flared briefly and then vanished.

Yuugi jerked his hand free seconds later and jumped up, backing away from the bag. His breath came in short, sharp gasps as he huddled against the far wall, clutching his left hand to his chest protectively. The skin from his fingers to just up above his elbow had turned a bright, shiny pink and was throbbing painfully; the very tips of his fingers were an angry red. Anyone looking at him would have thought that he had mistakenly thrust his hand into scalding water, and the thought of what would have happened had he not been able to do whatever he had just done made him shudder. He would have probably been cooked alive.

"Oh god," he muttered to himself, on the verge of tears. Suddenly, more than anything else in the world, he wanted Yami. The older boy would have known exactly what to do. Yuugi fought to keep from crying as he gently rubbed his throbbing arm, wishing that he had some cold water. His gaze landed on the bathroom and he left the bag where it was as he hurried over to the small room. It contained nothing more than a sink with water that was always cold and a toilet, but right then that was all he needed. Quickly, he switched on the tap and thrust as much of his arm underneath the small clear stream as he could. The relief was instantaneous and he sighed, briefly resting his head against the cold porcelain before he straightened up and looked into the mirror.

What he saw didn't impress him. A boy that could only be described as petite stared back at him, the natural spikes of his hair wilting to lay almost flat against his head. The sweater and pants he had been wearing hung loose, nearly sliding off one shoulder and revealing a set of hand-shaped bruises around the back of his neck. His face was pale except for a few bruises here and there from when Hafiz or one of the guards had grown angry and his violet eyes were filled with tears that he was trying hard not to shed. It was a losing battle. A tear spilled free, followed by several more, as he gazed down at his arms, which had gotten the worst of it. One was badly burned and the other still bore the angry mark around his wrist from Hafiz's little experiment on the bed. For the first time, he seriously wondered how much more he would be able to take before Hafiz went a step too far. He was terrified to find out.

"Yami, where are you?" he whimpered, letting out a choked sob as he crumpled to the ground. Burying his face in his knees, his shoulders began to shake with the force of his sobs. He didn't hear the footsteps approaching over the sound of his crying, so when a hand reached out and touched his shoulder he cried out in fear and jerked away.

"Yuugi, relax! It's just me," a familiar voice said. Looking up, he realized that it was Ryou was standing over him, a worried expression on his face. Yuugi didn't hesitate; he threw himself into his friend's arms and burst into fresh tears. Ryou stumbled backwards and winced when his shoulder struck the wall, but he said nothing. Instead, he gently stroked his hand through Yuugi's hair, fear battling with concern and rage as he wondered just what the other boy had endured.

Several minutes later, Yuugi forced himself to pull back from his friend and wiped his eyes. He felt embarrassed for having lost control after days of having kept it together. "Sorry, Ryou," he mumbled. The other boy didn't reply at first; his horrified eyes were locked onto the state of Yuugi's arms.

"Oh my god, what did he do to you?" Ryou whispered, gently taking hold of Yuugi's elbow so that he could better examine the burns. When Yuugi winced, Ryou stood up and wet several paper towels, which he draped across the flushed skin. He couldn't help remembering Shadi's and Rishid's plan to leave Yuugi here and inwardly cringed. From the looks of it, if they'd left Yuugi for much longer, they would have been retrieving his body.

"Nothing much," Yuugi lied. It wasn't the whole truth, obviously, but he didn't feel like sharing everything that Hafiz had done. Instead, he looked up, his eyes wandering over the livid bruising on the side of Ryou's face. "Are you alright?"

Ryou blinked in confusion, at first not understanding the question. Yuugi lifted his un-burned hand and lightly touched Ryou's cheek, and that's when Ryou felt the pain for the first time. A soft gasp escaped his lips and he flinched out of reach. "Oh, ow," he hissed, twisting to look into the mirror. Ruefully, he examined the damage that had been done by one well-aimed blow from an incredibly strong duel monster. The wound looked much worse than it felt, but it still ached. At least now he knew why his head was ringing when he moved too quickly. "One of the duel monsters got me," he remembered, looking back down at Yuugi.

"Because of me." Yuugi bit his lip. "You guys shouldn't have come. It was too dangerous."

"We had to," Ryou said gently, wetting another paper towel and pressing it to the side of his cheek. The coolness of the damp paper felt good and went a long way towards reducing the throbbing ache. "We came to rescue both you and Yami."

"Yami?" The smaller boy's head popped up and he forgot all about the pain in his arms and body as he stared at Ryou. "What do you mean, you had to rescue Yami?"

Brown eyes went wide as it belatedly occurred to Ryou for the first time that Yuugi didn't know what had happened to Yami. Of course now that he thought about it, it seemed perfectly obvious: Yuugi had been kidnapped by Maiden of the Moonlight before he, Yami and the others had arrived on the scene. But somehow, in light of everything that had happened, that fact had slipped his mind. He studied Yuugi's worried, frightened face and wished that he hadn't mentioned it. No doubt Yuugi had been surviving all this time by hoping that his yami was coming for him, and Ryou really did_ not_ want to be the one who broke the truth. But he could tell from the mulish look settling over Yuugi's face that Yuugi wasn't going to give up on finding out what was going on. Ryou sighed and gave in.

"After you were kidnapped," he began, crouching down next to Yuugi, "We came to help just as Maiden of the Moonlight returned. Yami, Seto, Bakura and Mariku got into a fight with her but she was much stronger than they expected, I think. She was trying to steal the Millennium Items and she had the Puzzle with her to taunt Yami." His hand went unconsciously to his chest and he realized for the first time that he was not wearing the Ring. The resulting spike of pure, unadulterated terror that flashed through him made his voice rise unnaturally. "Bakura got injured and Yami was trying to distract her. He managed to get the Puzzle away from her but she shot some sort of spell at him at the same time. It struck both Yami and the Millennium Puzzle and Yami..." He swallowed hard. "Yami was trapped inside the Puzzle when it shattered."

For several seconds, Yuugi just stared at him in silent disbelief, his mind whirling as he tried to absorb and understand what Ryou had just told him. When it clicked, his mouth dropped open and he paled alarmingly. "Yami is... No..."

"Yuugi – " Ryou tried to reach for him but Yuugi pulled away.

"No!" With another strangled cry, he staggered to his feet and pushed past Ryou, rushing back into the other room. Malik stirred on the bed and opened his eyes just as Yuugi reached the backpack and fell to his knees beside it. Heedless of the danger, he jerked the top open and started rummaging through it, tossing random items over his shoulders. They fell harmlessly to the ground behind him as he finally pulled out an old, worn cardboard box. His fingers tingled with memories and he started to shake as he pulled the top off, revealing the golden pieces of the Millennium Puzzle. Slowly, he reached down and picked up the center piece that had the familiar eye symbol on it.

"Yuugi..." Feeling helpless, Ryou just stood in the doorway to the bathroom and stared at his friend.

"Yami..." The broken whisper slipped from Yuugi's lips as he tightened his grip around the puzzle piece. He closed his eyes as more tears started to fall down his cheeks. All this time, he had been certain that Yami was coming for him and Yami had been just as trapped as he was. No wonder he couldn't feel the bond anymore. It had been shattered when Yami was forcibly taken away. Whimpering, he clutched the box of pieces to his chest and started to quietly sob, rocking back and forth.

Malik sat up slowly, swaying slightly. Black spots bloomed in front of his vision and he froze, blinking them away before he was able to focus. Ryou walked over to him wearing an expression of guilt and said, "I didn't remember that he didn't know about Yami until it was too late. Do you think...? Should I not have told him?"

"Bit late now." Without thinking, he twisted his hand into the sheets and the resulting hot lick of pain running up his arm made him bite his lip to avoid crying out. His wrist was badly swollen and each puncture mark had turned an ugly dark red color that he _knew_ was not a good sign. Malik ignored it for the time being and, leaning heavily on Ryou, hobbled over to Yuugi. The two friends knelt beside him, one on each side, and tried to offer comfort in whatever way that they could. Unfortunately, Yuugi barely seemed to take notice their presence, not reacting even when Ryou reached out and slipped an arm around his shoulders.

What would it be like? Malik wondered tiredly, staring down at the floor. What would it be like to not be able to feel Mariku at the back of his mind now that he was used to it? The bond between the two of them was humming with anxiety, fear, and fury now that he was awake. _Especially_ fury – he could practically taste Mariku's anger and desire for vengeance. It was massively comforting to know that someone was coming after him, especially when that 'someone' happened to be the other half of his soul. Even though it had only been a matter of weeks since the two of them had met, it was getting hard to remember what his life had been like before Mariku had come into it. He tried to imagine having access to their bond cut off, of being trapped with his father and not knowing what was going on, and shivered.

Ryou had been watching Malik and Yuugi out of the corner of his eye. He, too, could feel Bakura's emotions. His yami was functioning with a thin string of sanity that was dangerously close to snapping without anyone around who could keep him calm. Closing his eyes, he sent a soothing pulse down the bond, hoping that it would help. All he got back was rage mingled with a fierce feeling of possessiveness. Lips quirking, he laid his head on top of Yuugi's and sighed. As far as he could see, the only thing that they could do was wait. Wait for Pegasus or someone else to come back, wait for their friends to come and rescue them, wait to see if Yuugi and Yami could ever repair the damage that had been done.

The steady stream of tears and violent, choked sobs only slowed when Yuugi could cry no more. The puzzle pieces were soaked in his tears by the time he was through. His fingers visibly trembled as he picked up two pieces and mechanically began trying to fit them together, twisting them around to see if there was any way that they might fit. When they refused to slip together, he had to bite the inside of his cheek until it bled to keep from bursting into tears all over again. He dropped one of the pieces back into the box and selected another before beginning the process all over again, thinking only of the one person he so desperately wanted to see. In time, the only sound that filled the small room was the soft clicking of puzzle pieces sliding into place.

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Please review!


	33. Chapter 33

**A/N:** Aw, the reviews for the last chapter were so sweet. We all love Yuugi! Unfortunately he doesn't show up in this chapter... I meant to, but as you've noticed this chapter isn't as long as normal because I got really sick and couldn't write for several days. In the interest of not being late, the chapter ended up being a little shorter instead. However, I actually ended up liking some of the scenes I was able to put in... I remain full of surprises, I think, even when I'm sick. Enjoy!

* * *

_Light._

_ Sweet, burning, consuming light._

_ He writhed in glory as the shadows screamed in pain and fled, struggling to hold onto him yet at the same time yearning to get away from their natural enemy. The light was so painful, so hot, so intense that it set everything he was on fire - and he loved every moment of it. Cold was banished like it had never been, his bones slowly warming from the inside out. Lines were being drawn as he remembered where he began and the shadows ended: light scouring the very essence of darkness from his soul._

_With every passing second (and for the first time, he was aware of the concept of time and what it meant, though why it was important still eluded him) it grew even stronger. _

_ If he could have cried, he would have._

_ If he could have begged for more, he would have._

_ If he could have sought revenge against those that had dared taken this sweet light away from him..._

_ Well, that he _would_ have._

_ The end of his imprisonment was coming..._

_ And he would be ready._

**GMA**

Jou was awake and very, very not happy. For about the hundredth time, he squirmed, trying in vain to break free of the disgusting grey fibres that he was wound up in. Apparently the spider duel monster that had attacked them had decided that it was too much effort to actually kill them. It had instead chosen to wrap him, Shizuka, Bakura, Honda and Otogi from head to toe in more webbing and left each of them attached to a branch strong enough to hold their weight hanging upside down, like flies waiting for the spider to come finish them off. The comparison had crossed his mind more than once during the past three hours he'd been conscious.

Bakura was the only other person who had come to, and Jou was actually a little relieved that Bakura was tied up, because when the psychotic yami woke up, he'd lost it a little. There had been some harsh words spoken in what he suspected was Egyptian, and judging by the fact that he'd never heard them before, he figured Bakura was cursing a blue streak. Occasionally the torrent of language was interspersed with Ryou's name, and that was almost worse than the cursing, because that one word - "_Ryou_" - was spoken with so much pain and self-loathing that it hurt to listen to. He was privately relieved that he'd been tied with his back to the other teen because he didn't think Bakura would have appreciated anyone seeing him like that.

"This so did not go the way we had planned," he muttered to himself, sparing a thought for his missing lover. Where was Seto? Was the man alright? Had they been wounded or worse, captured and taken to Pegasus? He winced at the thought and wished that he knew how to summon the Red Eyes Black Dragon into the real world. Even if it made him pass out, it would have been worth it to have had a way out of the damn webbing that they'd been wrapping up in. His head was starting to throb from all of the blood rushing to it and his ankles had gone numb, but there was no end in sight.

Something chittered out in the middle of the forest and he stiffened. "Bakura!"

"What?" the yami hissed behind him.

"There's something out there." Jou hoped that the panic and alarm weren't showing up in his voice as much as he thought they were, but he suspected that it was a lost cause. After the close encounter with a gigantic spider straight out of his nightmares, he had no inclination to ever see another duel monster that wasn't a dragon, especially if it was coming while he was tied up and incapable of defending himself.

Bakura actually _growled_. "What the fuck do you want me to do about it?" he demanded.

"I just thought you might like to know?" He swallowed the scream that wanted to escape when something burst out of the bushes in front of him. Jou closed his eyes, fully prepared for whatever it was to attack, and it took him a moment to register that he was being... laughed at? Cautiously, he opened his eyes and found himself staring at a little green woman with butterfly wings that looked kind of familiar. She smiled at him, more sweetness than edge, and suddenly he knew. "You're Fairy's Gift!"

Fairy's Gift beamed. "Anzu-chan sent me to make sure that you're okay!" she chirped, blinking enormous eyes at him. "You look okay! I'll let her know! Bye bye!"

"WAIT!" Jou bellowed when she started to turn away. He didn't know how much longer he could take being upside down and helpless. "Come back! Get us down from here!"

"Down?" The duel monster blinked at him in confusion.

"Cut the fucking webbing," Bakura snarled, losing what little patience he possessed.

"Oh! Okay!" Giggling, she held out her wand and leapt forward. The tip of her wand, which was shaped like a four-pointed star, proved to be sharp enough to slice easily through the webbing. Jou yelped as he plummeted the ten feet to the ground below head first. He discovered the sole redeeming factor of the webbing when he struck, which was that it acted as padding and prevented him from being hurt by the collision. Fairy's Gift hovered over him and drew one of the points of her wand down the webbing. It split apart beneath the tip like butter, and by the time she had finished freeing the others, Jou was on his feet wiping frantically at his arms, legs, face and hair to get the rest of the stuff off. His skin was left feeling sticky and he shuddered with disgust.

The force of the fall had jarred Shizuka, Honda, and Otogi awake. In less than ten minutes, the four of them plus Fairy's Gift were following the ravaged trail that Bakura had left when he stormed off to what remained of their campsite. It proved to be a sorry sight. Carefully gathered firewood had been scattered and broken, the buckets tipped over and crushed, and all of their backpacks had been searched through and most of their things were now missing. Bakura was muttering under his breath as he searched for the knives they'd had the night before, but unsurprisingly, their weapons were gone.

"They took everything of use," Shizuka said, her fingers still working through a couple of spectacular tangles. She looked down at the sorry state of her backpack and sighed.

"How do you think the others made out?" Honda asked quietly, wincing as Otogi probed at the bump on his forehead.

Jou sighed and grabbed one of the few bottles of water that had survived. "We need to find them," he said, twisting the top off and taking a long drink. "Obviously they split us up so that we would be easier to bring down. Seto, Mokuba, Mariku and Malik probably got attacked, too." It didn't seem necessary to point out that it was likely Malik had been captured as well. The duel monsters had come for Ryou, so it was safe to assume that they would have gone for Malik as well.

"Bakura, where are you going?" Otogi demanded suddenly.

"To the castle," Bakura snapped, dropping what remained of his and Ryou's backpacks on the ground. Before they left, he'd secreted a small set of knives in the lining of Ryou's pack when his lighter half wasn't paying attention. That, plus the set of lock picks that he carried in his pockets at all times, were all that he had left. It wasn't much, and it felt dreadfully inadequate considering who he was about to face, but at least it would be something.

"I know you're concerned about Ryou but we have to find Seto and the others first," Jou told him. He cringed when Bakura turned the full force of a poisonous glare on him but managed to stand his ground. "We'll have a better chance at getting in if we have Mariku and Seto and you know it."

"We're wasting precious time by stopping to look for them," Bakura retorted, his dark eyes blazing with rage. "You know that Mariku will be heading for the castle if they've taken Malik and Seto and the brat will probably be following him. What makes more sense, mutt? Going towards the reasonable, realistic meeting place or wandering around the forest hoping to stumble across each other while those bastards do fuck only knows to _my_ hikari?" He took a step towards Jou, who finally gave in to the sense of self-preservation that was screaming in the back of his mind and stumbled backwards. Put like that, he wasn't sure how to argue, and Bakura knew it, judging by the triumphant smirk on his face.

"Okay, you're right," Shizuka said, intervening before her brother had the chance to respond. She licked at a scrape on her palm and narrowed her eyes at Bakura. "But if we head towards the castle, you have to make sure you don't run ahead and do something crazy, Bakura. You can't help Ryou if you end up captured or worse. You're going to have to remain calm. Can you do that?"

Bakura just sneered at her in response and twisted away, stomping off in a direction that Jou wouldn't have guessed the castle would be in - but he wasn't about to second guess Bakura. The yami could follow his bond to Ryou, which meant that he likely had the best idea of just where the castle was. He shot a grateful look at Shizuka as Honda and Otogi both stood up. None of them were overly happy about the idea of walking into a possible trap, but unfortunately, Bakura did have a solid argument for heading towards the castle. And truth be told, as much as Jou wanted Seto, he was deeply worried about Ryou, Yuugi and Malik, not to mention concerned about how long Bakura and Mariku would be able to cope without their lighter halfs around.

"Let's go before we lose him," said Otogi. There were streaks of kohl under his eyes and his clothing was badly wrinkled. It was probably the worst that Otogi Ryuji had ever looked. But he didn't seem to care and Jou's opinion of him raised a few notches. "We should stick together right now. If Bakura gets ahead of us, we risk getting lost."

"Yeah." Jou sighed and started walking in the direction that Bakura had gone. Shizuka fell into step beside him and he took a moment to give her an impressed, thoughtful glance. The delicate way she handled Bakura was reminiscent of Yami to the point where he was wondering if she was spending far too much time around the Pharaoh. She seemed to have an intrinsic (and possibly insane) belief that Bakura and Mariku would not harm her regardless of how angry they got, so Bakura when he was having a temper tantrum didn't seem to have an effect on her nerves. It was the kind of poise and calm that Jou wished he could emulate. When Bakura got pissed, he always backed off in a hurry.

Shizuka must have caught his stare because she smiled and took his hand. "Don't worry, Nii-chan. I'm sure that the hikaris are fine. They are all much stronger than they appear."

"Like you?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

She laughed and flipped her auburn hair over her shoulder. Fairy's Gift was flying by her side and the duel monster gave a happy squeal and reached out to grab a few strands. "I suppose you could look at it that way, but not really. I have shadow magic just like you. The hikaris need to have their own brand of strength in order to be able to deal with the darkness. Not only their yamis, but from the Shadow Realm as well." Shizuka glanced ahead to where Bakura could just barely be seen terrorizing a path through the forest. "Except you'd never know it from just being around them because most of the time they don't need it."

He processed this information silently and got the feeling that it was not widely known. "Who told you that?" Like he really needed to ask.

As predicted, her eyes twinkled and she replied, "Isis. Who else? She told me once that she noticed it happening around Malik after they left the tombs. When things got really bad, he would have power she didn't recognize to protect himself." Her gaze grew distant for a split second. "Isis said she thinks it has to do with controlling, or at least being on par with, the darkness."

Jou considered that and decided that yeah, he could see it. All three of his friends had their own core of inner strength, even if it might not seem like it on the outside. It was one of the reasons that he knew Yuugi would still be fine when they finally found him again, but hearing that they would have an extra something to fall back on was still comforting. "I'm glad for that," he said quietly. "Now if we can just keep Bakura from losing it completely until Ryou comes back to work this mysterious power on him, we'll be good."

"Yeah, good luck with that," Shizuka muttered, wincing as Bakura came to a stop and hissed something in Egyptian at a bush that had dared to grow in his way. Jou froze as the bush actually _moved_, as in, it literally split apart and stayed that way while Bakura stomped through it.

"Did that bush just…" Honda trailed off and gingerly rubbed the bump on his forehead. "I', sorry, how hard was I hit yesterday?"

"Either we're all hallucinating or we all just saw that bush move, right?" Otogi said in an eerily calm voice. Jou, Shizuka and Honda all nodded in unison. Otogi sighed, his shoulders slumping, and pushed past Jou and Shizuka to march straight over the bush. He slowed briefly when he got closer, his emerald eyes scanning every branch and leaf intently, just waiting for one of them to give even the slightest hint of movement. When nothing happened, he tentatively prodded one of the branches just to make sure before crossing the middle of the bush, same as Bakura, and making it safely to the other side.

Twisting back to face them, he waved a hand. "Come on then. I think it's too scared of what Bakura might come back and do to it to risk moving."

"I know the feeling," Jou muttered, rubbing one of his shoulders as he stepped forward. There was no way he was letting Shizuka go first, and Honda didn't look steady enough on his feet to be walking, much less be able to react should something go wrong. In spite of the fact that Bakura and Otogi had crossed safely, he approached the bush with caution and didn't relax until all three of them had joined Otogi on the other side. By that time, the petite brunette had gone further ahead in an effort to not lose track of Bakura.

"Hurry up!" he called, appearing beneath an overhanging vine. "Bakura's yelling at a patch of ivy now."

"Yelling at a patch of ivy," Honda repeated in disbelief. "Why the hell did I get into the same car as him again?"

"His method may be crude, but it's working, isn't it?" Otogi asked with a crooked smile, doubling back to hook his taller lover's arm around his shoulders in order to provide the staggering Honda with some extra support. "I think this whole damn island is actually alive. If Bakura weren't here, I don't want to think about what might happen."

They soon found out, as it turned out. It wasn't that difficult to catch up to Bakura again - all they really had to do was follow the path of frightened greenery, which led them straight to the semi-psychotic yami like he'd been dropping breadcrumbs behind him, and the fact that he had stopped moving only served to help. He was staring up at a large tree with a peculiar expression on his face, almost as though someone had asked him a particularly difficult question that he had no idea how to answer, and his normal reaction of 'tell me or I'll _make_ you tell me' didn't apply. Jou glanced at him somewhat nervously before he looked up at the tree, wondering what was so different about it that it had captured Bakura's attention so intently. As far as he could tell, it looked like a fairly normal tree. Granted, it was huge, easily the size of three or four other trees put together, and the branches were surprisingly low-hanging, giving him a claustrophobic sensation, but other than that...

And then he felt it. His back stiffened and a low gasp escaped. "Seto."

Bakura cast him a smirk. "Felt it, did you?" he drawled, sounding saner than he had since Fairy's Gift had freed him from the webs. "I wondered when you'd figure it out."

"What... you mean... Seto's up _there_?" Jou pointed to the tree and realized that his hand was shaking. Huh.

"What?" Shizuka squeaked, taking a step back so that Honda and Otogi were between her and the tree. Neither boy seemed to appreciate her new position.

"It would seem that Otogi's bitching actually has a grain of truth in it," said Bakura, twisting back to face the tree. He ignored Otogi's indignant yelp in favour of moving closer to the tree and laying one of hands flat on the trunk. Without Ryou and the Ring, he was unable to summon a monster, even his partner, but that didn't mean he couldn't use a little bit of pure shadow magic. As soon as Seto and Mariku were awake, this island was going to regret it. "You might want to back up. This may get dangerous."

If _Bakura_ was giving them that kind of warning… there was a general stampede in the opposite direction. Jou stopped once he was a good fifteen feet away and turned to watch. At first it seemed like nothing was happening, but then a loud cracking noise echoed through the forest and the tree began to shudder. His eyes widened when he spotted the thin ring of shadow magic that Bakura was forcing through the trunk. The yami was literally cutting their opposition down. In less than five minutes, Bakura took a step back, the shadow magic disappeared, and, instead of falling over, the tree sagged and dissolved.

"An _illusion_," Shizuka breathed. "How marvellous."

That wasn't the word that Jou would have used, but then he stopped paying attention to the conversation entirely when he spotted the three trussed up forms that had been left behind where the tree had once been. He rushed forward and found himself leaning over the body of his unconscious lover. Painful-looking bruises and scrapes covered Seto's skin, and vines had been tied around him so tightly that the skin on his hands and ankles was swollen. Jou gritted his teeth at the sight and took the small knife that Bakura was holding out. It was the work of seconds to slice through the vines and free Seto, Mokuba, and Mariku. By that time, Mariku was awake and pissed. _Very_ pissed. He and Bakura promptly held a private conversation in Egyptian that had Otogi casting doubtful looks in their direction.

"I would_ not_ want to be Pegasus right now," he muttered, helping Mokuba to sit up. The younger boy looked dazed and his legs gave out when he tried to stand.

"What are they planning?" Jou asked, looking worriedly at Seto when the man failed to awaken. There didn't appear to be anything worse than surface wounds, but…

Otogi just shook his head as Mariku stood up and Bakura turned to leave. "You don't want to know."

"Hang on," protested Jou. "Seto's not - "

"Then give your priest the kiss of life and _move it_!"

"There's no need to be in such a rush, Bakura." The sound of Seto's commanding voice froze the white-haired boy on the spot. Jou sat back on his heels in relief as Seto opened his blue eyes and sat up easily. He spared a comforting smile for his pup, running a quick but observant gaze over him to make sure that he hadn't been injured, before he twisted to look at Bakura and Mariku. "Running in there with no plan is exactly what they want. Nothing will happen until the Millennium Puzzle has been solved so we have a little bit of time. Your hikaris will be better served if we stop and think about this instead of letting your tempers rule your heads."

Resentment flashed in Bakura's eyes. "You better be right," was all he said.

Seto gave him a measuring look and, with Jou's help, stood up. "I am. Now, come back over here, you two, and let's work this out so that it can be finished once and for all."

**GMA**

They had been too far away and now they were too close. Anzu felt her pace slowing almost against her will until she had stopped walking altogether. The aura around Illusion Castle was darker than anything she had ever felt before in her life, and every instinct was screaming for her to turn tale and run, to just _get away_ before it was too late. She swallowed hard, her eyes darting from the determined Isis to the castle, realizing that it was already too late; they had come this far and Isis was not going to turn back, not when they were so close. That meant she had to keep going as well. Steeling herself, she crossed the last few feet and placed a hand against the cold stone, inwardly shuddering at the icy feel.

"How will we get in?" she asked, amazed at how steady her voice sounded. They'd come through the end of the forest after a nightmarish night just as dawn broke, and it had been one of the most difficult journeys that she could remember. She hoped that Isis had a plan that wouldn't result in too much fighting, because honestly, she wasn't sure that she had much of a battle left in her. Fairy's Gift had not returned and she could feel her energy seeping away by the minute.

"No need to worry. We're expected," Isis explained, turning to point. Anzu twisted to look and saw there was a cloaked figure waiting for them about twenty feet away, just barely visible in the day's lengthening shadows. Instinctively, she tensed, but Isis placed a comforting, warm hand on her shoulder. "They're a friend."

"You're sure?" Anzu said softly. Tired though she may be, there was no way she was going to allow someone to attack Isis this late in the game.

"Very sure." Her smile not quite reaching her eyes, Isis stepped forward, crossing the damp brush until she was close enough to the cloaked figure to be able to speak without worrying about being overhead. "Good morning," she greeted politely. "You know why we've come. Are you ready?"

The figure failed to react for a long moment, and Anzu had the sense that she and Isis were being studied at length, perhaps to make sure this wasn't a trap of some kind. Finally, one of its arms rose and she saw with shock that the hand attached had long, slender fingers capped by carefully polished nails. A surprised gasp escaped her as long, curly blonde hair fell out from beneath the hood and determined violet eyes met her gaze. Kujaku Mai smiled grimly and said, "I was born ready."

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Please review!


	34. Chapter 34

**A/N:** So while writing this chapter I got the feeling that not a lot was happening… but I still really like how it turned out. Strange, yeah? I just feel like the characters are being so true to themselves right now and I love that. I realize it makes me sound like a freak, but whatever. I thought now would be a good time to let everyone in on where the title from the story comes from as I just realize I never mentioned it. It comes from the Adam Lambert song "What Do You Want From Me" which I think fits this story _so _well… Listen to it if you've got the chance. Enjoy!

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Malik's hand was throbbing badly. He grimaced to himself and flexed his fingers gingerly, holding in the reflexive swear that wanted to escape at the resulting flash of pain that shot up his arm and into his shoulder. The puncture wounds had stopped bleeding after he'd held his hand under cold running water for about five minutes, but the skin was still hot and swollen and didn't seem to be showing any signs of getting better. No doubt it was infected – Ra only knew what had been on that stupid plant – but there wasn't anything he could presently do about it except try to forget about the fact that it hurt.

He shifted his position on the bed and sighed, though he was careful to keep the sound quiet. Ryou was sleeping behind him (or at least, he had his eyes closed and hadn't moved for some time) and both of them had been trying hard not to distract Yuugi. Their friend was perched at the bottom of the bed with the cardboard box containing the puzzle pieces cradled in his lap, and he hadn't looked up from the Millennium Puzzle once since he had begun. Amazingly, even though Yuugi had only been working on it for about seven or eight hours, the Millennium Puzzle was about half finished, which was astronomically fast considering that it had taken him years to get that far the first time.

"How's he doing?" Ryou asked suddenly. Malik jumped and then swore softly when the movement jostled his sore hand. He wished that he felt safe enough to relax a little, but that was impossible when his father was so close and they had no form of protection. Though he hadn't actually seen the man yet, but hadn't failed to notice the familiar markings on Yuugi's body that meant Hafiz was in top form. Every part of him was dreading the next time that door opened.

"He's getting closer," said Malik finally, rubbing his eyes with his unwounded hand. It had been a while since he'd slept and he could feel exhaustion dragging him down, but some part of him couldn't help thinking that if he closed his eyes for even a moment Hafiz might sneak up on them. He shuddered at the thought and looked up at Yuugi, who had not reacted to the sound of their voices in the slightest. The petite teen just kept mechanically reaching into the box, picking up a piece of the puzzle, and sliding it into place without missing a beat. Malik doubted he'd break stride even if someone walked over and waved a hand under his nose. "Do you think we should make him take a break? He's been at it for hours without stopping."

Ryou opened his eyes and sat up. "I hate to make him stop. If he can free Yami, we'd be a lot better off," he said, looking worriedly at Yuugi, who had twitched at the sound of Yami's name. "But at the same time, if he keeps working like this he might keel over. I'm not sure it's safe." He slid off of the bed and stood up, swaying slightly. Once he'd regained his balance, he made his way down to the end of the bed and put a hand on Yuugi's shoulder. "Yuugi, why don't you take a break?"

There was no response. Yuugi didn't even look at him. His violet eyes were completely glazed over and it was like he had no idea Ryou was talking to him. Ryou frowned and crouched down, looking up into Yuugi's face. He gasped when he realized that the symbol of the eye was glowing on Yuugi's forehead. "Malik, look!"

Reluctantly, Malik stood up and walked around to the edge of the bed. He examined Yuugi briefly, taking note of the glowing symbol, and said uncertainly, "I don't think we should disrupt him after all. Maybe he's connected to Yami."

Yuugi twitched again.

"This is creepy." Ryou straightened up and shivered, wrapping his arms loosely around his waist. "I wish Bakura was here."

There had been a time not all that long ago when Malik never would have thought that he would ever heard those words coming out of Ryou's mouth. He closed his eyes and rocked backwards, realizing that he knew exactly where Ryou was coming from; he would have given just about anything to have seen that door open and have Mariku walk through. The urge to be with his yami was so overwhelming that it was almost frightening in its intensity. It was like an itch beneath his skin that made him feel even more nervous and afraid than usual. It made it difficult to act like he was feeling calm.

"I know what you mean," he said finally, opening his eyes and looking over at his pale friend. "I can't help but think that they would know what to do."

"They would probably be just as lost as we are," Ryou said with a half-hearted smile, looking towards the window. The sun had risen to the point where he could tell that it was early afternoon, probably about two or three. No one had visited their little cell since he and Malik had woken up. He was hungry, but he didn't think anyone could be coming to feed them anytime soon. He turned back to look at Yuugi again, his gaze falling to the Millennium Puzzle. "I didn't think Yuugi could complete the Puzzle that fast. It took him forever the first time around and now he's doing it in a matter of hours."

"Body memory?" Malik suggested, backing up until he was leaning against the wall next to the window. It felt good to have something sturdy against his back and, as an additional plus, it left him facing the door. "He solved it once so he remembers how to do it the second time around?"

Ryou looked unconvinced. "Maybe. I still wish that he would stop and at least drink something or maybe soak his arm." He cast a doubtful glance at Yuugi's left arm. The skin was looking tight and shiny and blisters had formed in a couple of different spots on his fingers. It had to hurt, but Yuugi was acting as though he didn't notice the pain. His right hand cupped the Puzzle protectively while his left hand continued to slot the pieces in. "Do you think - "

The opening of the door cut Ryou off abruptly, and he spun around so fast that he staggered as Malik stiffened, his eyes darting over the room for something - _anything_ - that could be used as a weapon. He didn't see anything but what remained of Seto's backpack, but in the end, it turned out not to matter. Standing in the doorway was someone very familiar and welcome to him. He let out a cry and threw himself across the room into Isis's open arms. Ryou let out a breath of relief and dropped his hands to his sides, though he remained standing protectively in front of Yuugi as Anzu and a woman he didn't know came in behind Isis. Anzu pulled the door partly shut to keep any guards from being tipped off by their presence and glanced at Ryou.

"Alright?" she asked, sounding genuinely concerned.

"For the most part," he replied honestly. Her sapphire blue eyes ran over him quickly, taking in his pale face, the way his hands shook slightly, and the livid bruising on his cheek, and hardened.

"That bastard," she muttered under her breath.

"You'll be fine. You got off lightly, all things considered," said the woman who was standing right behind her. Her face softened when she looked at Ryou, to the point where he took a closer look at her, wondering if he knew her after all. She must have realized what he was doing because she smiled, her violet eyes twinkling with amusement. There was something familiar about that smile. "You don't know me, kid," she told him. "But I know your yami. My name is Kujaku Mai."

The familiarity of the name caused Ryou's eyes to widen. He could easily recall the pain in Bakura's voice when he talked about his lost cousin. "You're Bakura's cousin!" he exclaimed in surprise. Suddenly, he could see the little ways in which she and Bakura resembled each other. They had the same small nose and sharp cheekbones, the same tendency for a wicked smile that could send chills down anyone's spine. It sent a wave of longing over him that was so intense that he nearly doubled over from the force of it.

"That's right. And you're the light of my cousin's life," Mai said, a tiny smirk playing about her lips. It was the kind of comment that would have no doubted earned her a well-deserved slap from Bakura had he been present, and she knew and revelled in it. "It's nice to meet you, Ryou-kun. Anzu-chan has been telling me all sorts of interesting things about you."

Ryou gave her a weak, tentative smile. "I'd like to say likewise, but..."

"Yeah. We could've picked a better spot." She looked around with an expression of vague disgust, as though to say that she was a hundred times better than the little cell but didn't care enough to point it out. "That's why we've come. It's finally time for us all to get out of this ridiculous place."

"I'm good with that." Ryou could have hugged her for that announcement, though he held himself back. "Do you know where Bakura... I mean, where the others are? Is he... are _they_ alright?"

Perhaps she heard the poorly hidden wistfulness in his voice, because the regret in her face was genuine when she responded. "No, I'm afraid not. I didn't even know that you two had been captured until I heard some maids talking about it this morning. Apparently Hafiz was very pleased that his duel monsters managed to get you away from your yamis and didn't bother to keep it a secret. But I'm sure they're fine," she added quickly when she saw the dismayed look on Ryou's face. "Bakura is tougher than anything that Hafiz could dish out, let me tell you that right now. You mean a lot to him, so I'm sure he's on his way here right now."

A slight flush worked its way up Ryou's neck. "I wouldn't go that far."

"I would," Mai said with so much sincerity that it was impossible to disbelieve her. "I've known Bakura since we were young. He's a darkness that's been searching for his light for thousands of years. Take it from me, kid. If you're Bakura's other half, you mean more to him than any other treasure in the world." Ryou looked at her with wide eyes, but before he got the chance to respond, Isis spoke.

"I hate to interrupt," she said, sounding genuinely regretful, "but we need to get out of here before our presence is detected." Reluctantly, she released Malik from their embrace, though she kept a protective arm wound around his shoulders. Her eyes took the opportunity to scan his body quickly while she talked, cataloguing every bruise, scrape, and puncture wound. "The guards were distracted and we have about another six minutes before they return. We have to be gone before that happens or they'll sound the alarm."

"And that would be bad," Malik concluded, looking at his sister with the kind of expression that a drowning man gives land. She was almost as good as Mariku. "How do we get out?"

"Any way that we can with whatever it takes," Anzu broke in, meeting Malik's startled gaze squarely. There was no time for petty squabbles, not when things were so dire. She released the door and crossed the room to Yuugi, who had not reacted to the presence of the new people in the room. Even when Anzu leaned down, grabbed his shoulder, and shook him gently, he didn't respond. "Yuugi? Yuugi, it's me, Anzu. Come on, we're getting you out of here, but we've got to go now."

"He won't answer," Ryou said quietly, jumping when Isis touched his arm. He smiled at her weakly and added, "Malik and I tried to get his attention but he wouldn't respond. We think that he's communicating with Yami since he's been like that since he started solving the Puzzle."

"It's unlikely he's speaking to Yami, but there is a possibility that they may be reaching out to each other." Isis finally dropped her arm from around Malik and walked over to Yuugi, looking worried. She cupped his cheek and forcibly pulled his head up so that she could see into his eyes. Yuugi looked back at her and blinked, and for a split second a faint spark of recognition could be seen, but then the symbol on his forehead flashed with a brilliant light. Wincing, Isis released his chin and backed away, and Yuugi's head fell back down and he kept putting the Puzzle together like the brief encounter had never occurred.

"You okay?" Mai asked sharply.

"I'm fine." In spite of her words, Isis opened and closed her fingers to stretch them and winced. "You're right, Ryou. There is magic at work here and Yuugi shouldn't be disturbed right now. Our best chance lies with him completing the Millennium Puzzle before this situation comes to an all out fight. If we don't have the Pharaoh's help, it's unlikely that all or any of us will be leaving this land." Her words carried a significant chill that left everyone in the room looking pensively at Yuugi for a long time. At last, Anzu stood up and clapped her hands, breaking the silence.

"Right, then how are we going to get him out of here?" she asked, looking from Isis to Mai. "I can't summon anything, not with Fairy's Gift still out there. She's been gone too long. So it's going to be up to you two."

"I'll do it," Mai said immediately. It had been a long time since she'd had the opportunity to summon her partner and she'd missed it. There were days when the levels of shadow magic fizzing inside of her blood had driven her crazy, but she hadn't dared to summon anything when she was trying to pretend that she was the innocent little servant. Normal people didn't have an ounce of shadow magic in them and it would have been a dead give away if she'd been caught. So she'd learned to deal with the constant itch, learned to grit her teeth and bare with it, and the thought that she could finally scratch it – oh, it was like winning a full week at the spa with an unlimited budget. An almost feral smile crossed her face as she dropped her shields. Her magic raced through her blood, giving her a jolt of adrenaline that made black spots bloom before her eyes as the locator around her ankle snapped apart and fell to the ground in crackling pieces. Ryou staggered backwards a step, still standing protectively in front of Yuugi, as the air beside him shivered and _changed_ in a frighteningly familiar way.

When all was said and done, a tall, wicked-looking duel monster had joined them. It was a female and clad in tight, scanty garments that would've made more than a few men stop and stare. Long, wild red hair, sharp claws, and beautiful wings completed the look. Harpy Lady looked around the room with an air of disdain that was so reminiscent of Mai that Ryou would have smiled if he weren't still shivering. He didn't like having shadow magic around when Bakura wasn't present; it felt too dangerous, too raw, like it could go out of control at any moment. A familiar pulse ran down his bond - his yami was worried about the irrational flash of panic that had gone through him. Ryou responded tentatively – _please hurry_ – and slowly stepped aside.

"Harpy Lady, I need you to carry Yuugi outside. You must protect him and the Millennium Puzzle no matter what," Mai told her partner, violet eyes intent. The duel monster nodded and stepped over to Yuugi, intelligent eyes sweeping over the young boy. Once she'd assessed the situation, Harpy Lady leaned down and picked Yuugi up with a level of gentleness that Ryou wouldn't have associated with her, moving so slowly and carefully that the cardboard box containing the puzzle pieces remained in place on Yuugi's lap. Yuugi, of course, acted like he didn't even notice that he was being carried. His steady work on the puzzle never stopped.

"Now that that's settled, let's go," Isis said, walking back over to the door. She pulled it open without hesitation and stepped outside into the corridor. How she'd known that no one was around, Malik didn't know, but his sister turned and beckoned to them. "Come on. If we can make it outside the castle walls before our presence is discovered, we might just have a chance."

"Wait, we can't just leave," Malik protested. It had only taken him about twenty minutes after waking up to discover that he was no longer in possession of the Millennium Rod. The absence of his Item tugged at his soul even when he wasn't thinking about it; it was almost as bad as losing Mariku. He couldn't imagine walking away from the castle without it, and one look at Ryou's face told him that his friend felt the same way. "I'm not going without the Rod or the Ring. We need them."

"You're not serious," said Anzu, staring at him. "Come back for them later when you're not in so much danger. The Rod isn't worth your life, Malik!"

"What would you know?" he snapped in reply. Desperation shone in his face when he turned imploringly to his sister. "Nee-san, please? I need to get the Rod back and Ryou needs the Ring." How Yuugi had gone so long without the Puzzle or Yami, Malik had no idea. After just a few hours without the Rod and Mariku, he could literally feel himself beginning to falter, like his mind had turned into fragile glass sculpture that was only just barely managing to hold it together. One false move and he knew that it would shatter entirely. Possibly that had already happened for Yuugi; Malik was starting to worry that more damage might have been done to their friend than anyone had realized.

Isis paused and stared at him for a long moment, seemingly surprised by the intensity in his voice. Something flickered in her eyes – worry, perhaps – but it was gone before he had the chance to analyze it closely. "Alright," she agreed at last, though she didn't sound very happy. "Alright, Malik, you win. I suppose it's a bad idea to leave any of the Millennium Items where Pegasus could use them." She glanced briefly at Yuugi and the Puzzle before she sighed. "Mai, why don't you and Harpy Lady take Yuugi outside? The rest of us will meet up with you two once we've retrieved the Ring and the Rod."

Mai hesitated briefly. She didn't like the thought of splitting up and she _definitely_ did not like the idea that the two hikaris and Isis could meet up with Hafiz or Pegasus with only an exhausted Anzu to protect them. "Anzu-chan, why don't you and Harpy Lady go?" she suggested. "I can easily summon another monster and in the meantime, Harpy Lady will protect you and Yuugi."

A small frown crossed Anzu's face, but she must have been more tired than she was letting on, because she nodded without arguing. "Alright. That sounds good to me."

"Make sure you keep watch for the others," Isis told her. "They should be approaching the castle soon. Avoid anyone who looks suspicious."

"Go down this hall; make a right, then a left, then another right. Then keep walking straight," Mai added. "That will take you down to the servant's kitchen. From there, take two lefts and then a right. You'll come out on the eastern side of Illusion Forest. If what Isis told me is correct, that's where your friends will come out."

Anzu nodded again, silently running the directions over in her mind. "Right." She stepped out into the hall and watched as Mai instantly took charge, heading off down the hall with Ryou, Malik and Isis bringing up the rear. Part of her longed to go with them; she hated feeling useless but logically, she was tired and needed to rest. Once Fairy's Gift returned she would be of more help, but until that time, her remaining energy was best served helping Harpy Lady to protect Yuugi. Heaving a sigh, she turned to face Harpy Lady and offered the duel monster a patient smile. "Come on, then, let's get outside as quickly as possible," she urged, casting a concerned look in Yuugi's direction. Hopefully he'd be better once they were outside the castle.

All things considered, it was surprisingly easy for them to leave. Mai's directions proved to be correct, and even when they accidentally went down a wrong hall and stumbled across two servants who were cleaning a room, nothing happened. The servants looked at them with huge, startled eyes, but aside from that, neither of them said a word, and after a moment Anzu awkwardly closed the door and retraced her steps to take the right fork instead of the left one. Harpy Lady followed right behind her, close enough that she would be able to leap into action at the first sign of trouble, but not so close that Anzu was left feeling overly cluttered. It made her feel safer to have the duel monster so ready to act, so she didn't protest.

The warm afternoon sun greeted the three of them when she finally located the door to the outside and pushed it open. Anzu breathed a nearly silent sigh of relief as she stepped out onto the stone walkway and beckoned Harpy Lady through. She left the door hanging mostly shut and then stopped, wanting nothing more than to run for the relative safety of Illusion Forest, but knowing that they would likely bring the whole castle down on them if she did. Mai had made it a point to mention the locator that had been placed around Yuugi's ankle and had cautioned them against going outside the extremely limited boundary that the locator granted. Hafiz carried a small computer on him at all times that would alert him to any locator that went out of bounds, and Yuugi's was no doubt especially sensitive.

"Put him down here," she instructed. "We've got to get that stupid thing off before we can go any further. I'll look at it and hope that we can find some way to get it off without hurting Yuugi." As she spoke, Harpy Lady obliged her request, tenderly placing Yuugi on the stone. Anzu knelt before him and rolled up the ankle of his jeans so that she could see the locator. Fury raced through her when she caught a good look at it. The little machine was small and sleek and pressed so tightly against Yuugi's ankle that the skin around it had rubbed raw and was now swollen. Any longer and Yuugi would no doubt be dealing with an infection. Hadn't Hafiz done enough without that kind of slow torture? She tried to rein her anger in, knowing that it wouldn't do any good, and reached out to touch it.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Anzu jumped and nearly fell over at the sound of the voice. The only thing that kept her from launching into an attack was the fact that Harpy Lady didn't seem to be concerned by the fact that someone had snuck up on them, and when she twisted around, she found out why. Bakura and Mariku were standing right behind her, so close that she wondered how in Ra's name she had missed their approach. She looked at them nervously, defiantly, wondering where the others were, but before she had the chance to ask Mariku brushed by her and crouched down next to Yuugi. He took the younger boy's foot in hand and held it up, examining the locator with narrowed eyes. Because his touch was unusually gentle, Anzu let it go and instead glanced at Bakura.

"The others?" she asked, knowing better than to try to scold them for sneaking up on her. It would be a waste of breath as she'd only be ignored.

"They're coming." Bakura waved a dismissive hand over his shoulder, clearly not caring whether or not the others caught up to them, with the possible exception of Seto. He kept his eyes on Yuugi and Mariku, though closer inspection revealed that he was actually staring intently at the Millennium Puzzle and Yuugi's progress. The Puzzle was now close to being three quarters done. "Mariku?"

"It's definitely got shadow magic in it. This has him written all over it," the other yami replied, the distaste in his voice making it clear who the 'him' was. "Between the two of us we can probably overload it, though it'd be easier if Yami were here."

Bakura shrugged - Yami wasn't there so they would have to do the best they could - and knelt to help Mariku. Though he inwardly rebelled against wasting any more time in getting to Ryou, he knew that there was no way he could just leave the Pharaoh's hikari in that kind of state. In Yami's absence, Yuugi had become their responsibility, and they hadn't done such a great job in protecting him so far. Still, it was only the knowledge that Yami and Ryou would both be utterly furious with them if they walked away that made him reach out and place a hand on the locator at the same time that Mariku did. Both of them began to chant in low voices, drawing strength from the closer proximity to their hikaris in order to overload the delicate circuitry.

Sensing that this was something dangerous that she shouldn't disturb, Anzu rocked backwards and stood up as the bushes about ten feet away parted and Seto, Jou, Shizuka, Honda and Otogi walked out. It was a relief to see the five of them, though Seto and Jou both ignored her entirely as they walked over and joined Bakura and Mariku in huddling around Yuugi. Shizuka and Otogi were the only ones who gave her any kind of acknowledgement; Shizuka smiled and Otogi nodded, but that was it. Anzu sighed to herself and then perked up when the bushes opened a second time and Fairy's Gift darted out. Instantly, she felt her fatigue draining away at the little duel monster zipped over to her and sat down on her shoulder.

"I brought them to you, Anzu-chan!" she chirped with a big smile.

"I can see that. Thank you," Anzu said, touching Fairy's Gift's cheek with the tip of her finger. It hadn't been what she'd intended when she had sent her partner out, but perhaps things had worked out for the best. "You did a good job."

Fairy's Gift beamed, preening under the praise as there was a muffled crackling sound and Yuugi cried out in pain. Anzu whipped around to see the young hikari clutching the Puzzle against his chest, shoulders hunched over it and the cardboard box defensively. Bakura was scowling and Mariku looked dangerously blank, though rage glimmered in his eyes. Jou had knelt and was hovering uselessly behind Yuugi, clearly wanting to offer some sort of comfort but unsure of how to go about doing so. Seto was frowning down at what remained of the GPS locator, which was nothing more than a pile of smouldering black pieces on the ground. Every now and then a little _pop_ would echo through the air and a spark of shadow magic would land harmlessly on the ground.

"Is he alright?" Shizuka asked, looking concerned. Now that the locator was gone, she could see that the skin where it had been was lacerated and badly swollen.

"He'll be fine after rest and a doctor," Seto replied, using the toe of his expensive shoes to dig a small hole in the dirt. He kicked the remains of the locator into the hole and smoothed the dirt overtop of it. "But the best thing of all for him will be Yami's return and none of us can help with that." Even as he spoke, Yuugi had returned to slotting more pieces of the Puzzle together, though his fingers were noticeably shaking now.

"Where are Ryou and Malik?" Gingerly resting a possessive hand on Yuugi's shoulder, Jou turned to Anzu. She blinked at him, startled by the sudden question.

"They went to find the Millennium Ring and Rod," she said tentatively. "Malik refused to leave without them and Isis didn't want to make him go. She told me to take Yuugi out here and wait for you to show up while Mai led them to where she thought the items were being held."

Bakura swore under his breath and stood. There was an increasingly dark aura radiating off of him that sent chills down Anzu's spine. She'd always been a little wary around Bakura and Mariku; both yamis had been clearly unbalanced from day one and sometimes she thought it was all Yami could do to keep them in line. The presence of their hikaris had helped to change that, but now that Ryou and Malik were gone, both Mariku and Bakura seemed to be worse than ever. On the one hand, she thought that it was exactly what they needed to win against Pegasus. But on the other hand… she glanced at the raw fury in Mariku's face and shuddered.

"Harpy Lady can probably take us to where Mai is," she offered.

"Very well. Mokuba, you and Shizuka will stay here." Seto's tone left no room for arguments. "You two will protect Yuugi no matter what the cost."

The younger boy frowned but nodded reluctantly. "Alright, Nii-sama," he said. He didn't like the thought of being left out of the fight, but Yuugi needed someone to stay with him; they couldn't just leave him alone, and he and Shizuka did work well together. "Please try to be careful."

Seto patted his younger brother's head. "Don't worry."

That was impossible, but Mokuba tried to smile. "As soon as the Millennium Puzzle is solved, we'll come find you," he said, giving Seto a look that let the older boy know he would ignore any commands that directed otherwise. Seto frowned slightly but nodded, accepting the inevitable. They would need Yami's help to win, and hopefully by the time that Yuugi had freed him, Pegasus and his minions would be mostly subdued.

"If you're done, let's go," Bakura said impatiently, spinning around to face the door. It gave way easily under his hand, which was fortunate, as he likely would've broken it down otherwise and brought all kinds of guards running. He and Mariku disappeared inside with Seto hot on their heels. Otogi and Honda were right behind them. Jou squeezed Yuugi's shoulder one last time and then gave Shizuka a kiss on the cheek before following. Anzu gave the two pre-teens a reassuring if somewhat sickly smile before she and Fairy's Gift re-entered the castle and closed the door behind them.

"I hope they'll be okay," Shizuka said quietly, sitting down beside Yuugi. She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs before resting her chin on her knees. The position made her look unbearably young and Mokuba felt his heart twist even as he was filled with determination. He would protect her and Yuugi no matter what it took.

"It will be fine," he promised and hoped that he was right.

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Please review!


	35. Chapter 35

**A/N:** Thanks for the reviews, guys. I know quite a few people have been looking forward to this chapter, and to be honest, I was too. I swear the hikaris are just_ too_ cute sometimes, you know? It's really quite unfair. Enjoy!

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On a scale of one to ten, with one being an exceptionally bad idea and ten meaning that this was an idea that could end the world, the idea of going after the Millennium Items with only Mai for protection had to be at _least_ a twelve. Isis looked around at the brightly lit halls of Illusion Castle, patiently swept her gaze over her younger brother, one of his best friends, and their sole guardian, and reconsidered. Surely this idea had to be closer to a twenty, and was likely verging on thirty when she added in the fact that Mai had already sent her partner monster off with someone else, leaving them even more vulnerable. Partner monsters were always the easiest and safest to summon in the real world; it would take time and effort for Mai to summon something else if it became necessary. The thought did not sit well with her. Not for the first time, she inwardly cursed her inability to say no to Malik when he really wanted something.

"Are we getting close?" she asked, winced as her voice reverberated around the hall. The sound effectively shattered the silence and nearly gave poor Ryou a heart attack; he visibly jumped and shuttered sideways towards Malik, seeking protection from wherever it could come. Malik wrapped a weak arm around his shoulders and Isis felt her heart break a little more for both of them. Silently, she wished that Bakura and Mariku would hurry the hell up and get here already.

"I think so. If he's keeping them where I think he is, then yes, we're getting close," Mai replied. She had taken the lead and didn't seem to be affected by the strange echoes, which was some comfort, as it meant that it was normal. The way her head was constantly turning in every direction, though, wasn't; the fact that Mai was so clearly on edge made Isis want to climb the walls out of sheer frustration.

"Good," Malik muttered, removing his arm from around Ryou's shoulder. Instead, he took Ryou's hand and placed it on his elbow. It had the effect of keeping his friend close enough to ensure that nothing would happen to him without also happening to Malik and vice versa. Considering where they were, it had a fairly calming effect on both of them. That he could feel his bond with Mariku humming with energy as his yami got closer helped even more. He suspected that Mariku was either in or very close to the castle and he prayed it was the former.

Mai looked back and put a finger over her lips to shush them before she leaned cautiously around the next corner. Seeing nothing, she edged out into the hall and smoothly pulled one of the doors open. Quickly, she gestured them through before leaping inside and quietly easing the door shut behind her. They were faced with another long corridor that had about a dozen doors, all of which looked exactly the same. It struck Isis then, what one of Illusion Castle's best defences was; it would be absurdly easy for someone who wasn't familiar with the castle's layout to get lost. Mai only knew her way around because of her years of service; otherwise, the four of them would have been walking blindly.

Ryou gasped suddenly and his hand tightened on Malik's arm. "I can feel it," he said, wonder evident in his voice. He turned and looked down the hall, longing written across his face. "The Millennium Ring... I can feel it calling to me. It wants to know why I've allowed it to be taken."

Isis was glad that she was at the back of the group, because she couldn't quite contain the shudder that went through her when she heard Ryou's comment. Uneasily, she fingered the Millennium Tawk. She had a connection to her Item, of course, but it was not nearly as strong as the one that Malik, Ryou and Yuugi seemed to possess with their Items. It was both disturbing and enviable. "Try to follow it, Ryou," she urged. "See if you can pick out what direction the Ring is in."

The four of them stopped as Ryou closed his eyes in an effort to focus. Isis watched him closely, looking for the subtle signs that he was using some kind of magic. There! Her eyes widened slightly when she saw the briefest flare of magic around his right hand. It was totally unlike anything she had ever used before, but she had _seen_ it before. Malik had used it once when Hafiz had been on a particularly bad rampage. He'd targeted her before Malik got in between them. She vividly remembered seeing the flare of white magic that had sent Hafiz flying into the wall before Malik had collapsed. Come morning, neither one had remembered the incident, so she'd let it go and never mentioned it to her brother. Now, though, her suspicions were being confirmed; this was something that all of the hikaris seemed to be able to utilize, not just Malik.

"I think I've got it!" Ryou exclaimed, making them all jump. He blushed and added, "Sorry, but I can feel the Ring. It's that way." His hand rose and he pointed directly to one of the doors that was at the end of the hall. He released his grip on Malik and took several steps towards it.

"Are you sure? I can't feel the Rod," said Malik. There may or may not have been a hint of a pout on his face; in the dim light, it was hard to tell.

"You may not be able to," Isis told him gently. "Part of the Millennium Ring's special abilities is that it can find the other Items. That may be why Ryou can feel its presence. The Ring is likely calling out to him the way it would another Millennium Item. Now that it has found its true Master, it doesn't want to be separated from him. I'm sure the Rod feels the same way." And wasn't that a disturbing thought?

"Come on, you two," Mai hissed back at them before Malik could respond. She had followed Ryou over to the door and was now preventing the white-haired boy from flinging it open and running through with an arm across his chest. For once, Ryou seemed to have thrown politeness out the window, because he was actually struggling against her grip. The knowledge that the Ring was finally close at hand seemed to have possessed him and he was doing whatever necessary to get to it. "Let's get a move on before we're caught. Guards patrol this hallway every twenty minutes."

"Sorry," Malik muttered, shoving his hands in his pockets and moving closer. He continued to hang back as Mai opened the door and only followed once she, Ryou and Isis had gone through. The second he had passed through, though, his whole attitude changed. His lavender eyes lit up and his head snapped around to stare intently in the same direction that Ryou had been looking in. "The Rod! It's close!"

"Malik, stop!"7 Isis yelled, throwing all caution to the wind as her younger brother took off. Ryou pulled free from Mai a moment later and raced after Malik. She and Mai exchanged panicked looks before running after the two hikaris, but their head start had allowed the two boys just enough time to make it to the door at the end of the corridor before either woman could stop them. Malik reached it first and jerked it open, only to give a yelp of shock when arms reached through the doorway and practically lifted him off of his feet. Isis skidded to a stop and sighed when she recognized the familiar figures.

"Mariku!" Malik squeaked. Even though he was firmly pressed against a warm body with strong arms that were clutching him so tightly it hurt, he didn't seem to believe that his yami was really there. Through squirming, he was able to free one of his arms so that he could reach up to touch Mariku's cheek, but he lost his chance to say anything when Mariku ducked his head and caught Malik's lips in a furiously passionate kiss that made Isis roll her eyes.

Meanwhile, Ryou hadn't moved an inch since Malik had opened the door. His face had gone a shade of white to rival his hair and he was staring with huge brown eyes at Bakura, who was standing on the other side of the doorframe. Bakura didn't say or do anything and his face remained expressionless, so it was up to Ryou to finally move. On legs that no longer wanted to work properly, he toddled closer, slipping past the preoccupied Mariku and Malik. Closer, he could see that Seto, Jou, Anzu and Harpy Lady were all standing in the hall behind Bakura, clearly trying to pretend that they weren't paying attention even though they were.

"You're real?" he asked faintly. He hadn't said as much to Malik or Yuugi, but the one time that he'd managed to fall asleep in that cell, he'd woken up from a dream in which their yamis had been coming to save them. It had disturbed him more than he wanted to admit, the notion that he wanted Bakura of all people to save him from anything, but now that his other half was actually here, he couldn't really remember why.

Bakura nodded once. "I am."

Some distant part of his mind pointed out that it could have easily been a trick, but there was a pouring of warmth and affection running down their bond and frankly Ryou_ just didn't care_. He wanted it to be true too much to care. Another couple of steps brought him within arm's reach and a third left him close enough to collapse against Bakura when his legs abruptly gave out. Amazingly, instead of just standing there, Bakura's arms actually came up around his body and grasped hold of his shoulders, pinning him in place. Ryou clenched his hands in the soft black shirt and buried his face into Bakura's collarbone, shaking with the effort that it took to not break down into tears. Because once he started, he wasn't sure he would be able to stop.

Mai folded her arms across her chest and watched this occur with a curious look on her face. For as long as she could remember, Bakura had been a bitterly cold bastard who hadn't been willing to show affection to anyone, including her. That he was willing to do so now told her just how important Ryou had become, regardless of whether the boy realized it or not. Her heart swelled with pity as Ryou finally lost the battle and started to sob quietly, but that didn't prevent her from feeling a flash of satisfaction at the poorly hidden rage that flared in Bakura's eyes. She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen her cousin so pissed and it was a good feeling to know that Hafiz was going to be on the receiving end of it.

"I assume you got Yuugi outside?" she called out to Anzu, deciding that her reunion with Bakura could wait. Though she was anxious to greet him, he was fully occupied with trying to soothe Ryou while looking like he wasn't. From the looks of it, it was difficult work and he probably wouldn't appreciate the added distraction no matter how much she had missed him. Instead, she twitched her fingers and recalled Harpy Lady before she moved forward, passing by the hikaris and yamis and joining the others out in the next hallway.

Anzu put her hands on her hips and nodded. Her face wasn't quite so pale as before and her big blue eyes had more of a spark to them now. "He's outside with Shizuka and Mokuba," she explained. "They'll protect him while he finishes the Puzzle. It shouldn't be much longer, but..." She trailed off and cast a doubtful look at Mariku, Malik, Bakura and Ryou. What she was thinking was evident: no one could tell how much of a help Yami would be. Mariku and Bakura had been unstable just from the brief separation; Yami had been away from Yuugi for so long that there was a good chance he wouldn't be able to do anything.

"The Millennium Items are close," said Isis, purposely averting her eyes as Malik finally pulled away and slapped at Mariku's hand when it wandered a little too far south. She really did not want to kill Mariku so soon after Malik had been reunited with him, and if she kept watching, that's exactly what was going to end up happening. "All we can do is go after them in the meantime."

"I can still feel the Rod," Malik said, panting a little and blushing deeply. He squirmed against Mariku, who merely smirked, and added, "It's even stronger now."

"It's you. You're stronger because your yami is with you," Isis muttered, giving into her urge and glaring at Mariku.

Mariku's smirk grew even wider, but he did release Malik, perhaps realizing that Isis was about two seconds from trying to make their separation a permanent one. When he slipped an arm around Malik's waist, though, he accidentally jostled Malik's wounded hand and the hikari winced. Narrowing his eyes, Mariku examined every inch of his hand before moving on, taking careful note of every bruise, scrape and puncture mark that littered the body of his light. "Did that plant do all of that to you?" His voice dropped, growing significantly more threatening.

"It was a combination of that and the guards that brought us here." Malik gave up on trying to get away and stood patiently until the examination was over, not bothering to point out the knot on the side of his head from where he'd been struck when Mariku failed to notice it. He could sense the growing rage that was flowing freely through their bond and knew that his yami needed no further incentives to lose control. It was a wonder that he hadn't already.

"If you're finished?" Seto said before Mariku could speak. He raised an eyebrow, though his voice remained softer than usual, and he had one arm draped loosely around Jou's waist in a gesture was entirely possessive.

"Which way are the Items?" Jou asked.

Malik started to point past them and then stopped, his face screwing up with confusion. "They're not behind that door anymore," he stated. "It feels like they're… moving?"

Before he'd finished speaking, Seto, Jou, Anzu and Mai were rushing over to the door he had been pointing to. Seto flung it open just in time to see Silent Magician and Maiden of the Moonlight running down the hallway; Silent Magician turned the corner while Maiden of the Moonlight went straight. The four of them took off after the fleeing duel monsters, with the boys following Silent Magician while the girls went after Maiden of the Moonlight. Isis hesitated for a split second before following Mai and Anzu, leaving the two yamis and hikaris alone. Malik stared after them, half-tempted to follow, but Mariku showed no sign of letting go anytime soon.

"Are you done?" he said with a faint amount of exasperation, turning to look at his yami.

"And here I thought you missed me," said Mariku, deliberately trailing a hand down Malik's side and waist and enjoying the resulting shiver that the feel of his hand provoked. Though he was anxious to retrieve the Rod, he was also interested in tracking down every person or monster who had dared to lay a hand on _his_ light. He had some revenge to distribute and it was not going to be pretty, though it would be fun. "Which one was it that hit you on the side of the head?"

So much for Mariku not noticing. Silence reigned for about two seconds before Malik sighed and gave in. "Silent Magician," he admitted reluctantly. "The one that Seto and Jou are chasing."

Mariku merely nodded thoughtfully and glanced over his shoulder at Bakura and Ryou. The younger hikari was still clinging to his yami with all of his strength, though it appeared that he had stopped crying. Bakura had his head tilted low - not quite resting it on Ryou's hair, but close - and seemed to be muttering something that was too soft for either of them to hear. If it had been anyone else, the look in his eyes might have been described as soft, but this was Bakura, so Mariku knew that it was merely a growing thirst for revenge. Bakura had never taken kindly to people that were stupid enough to touch things that belonged to him.

As though sensing the weight of his stare, Bakura glanced up. His eyes were dark with a combination of pure fury and possessiveness. "What?" he growled.

"You ready to have some fun?" Mariku asked, knowing better than to tease when Bakura was so close to the edge. He might have been crazy but he wasn't suicidal, and directing any of Bakura's current rage at himself would be like signing his death warrant. "I heard the duel monsters that attacked our lights are wandering around somewhere."

Something feral flashed in those deep, dark eyes and Bakura smiled slowly, gently pushing Ryou away. Ryou stepped back willingly, revealing a tear-streaked face, but he didn't go far, staying close enough that he could transfer his grip from the front of Bakura's shirt to the back along the hemline without ever fully letting go. Surprisingly, Bakura didn't seem to mind. He crooked a single finger at Mariku in a silent command to follow and started walking, heading for the door that the others had gone through with his hikari close enough behind him that it required careful coordination for the two of them to walk without tripping over each other. Mariku and Malik were right behind them, both of them more than ready to do some serious damage.

**GMA**

Due to the fact that Seto had been more wounded by the attack in the forest than he had let on, Jou had no problem keeping up with his taller lover as they sprinted down the hallway in pursuit of Silent Magician. Realizing that they were on his tail, the duel monster had given up all pretence of sneaking through the castle and was now flat out running away from the two of them. Where he was headed, they didn't know, but it couldn't have been anywhere good. Jou's breath came in low, harsh gasps and he could feel a stitch forming in his side, but he didn't dare stop. He kept remembering the vacant, dull look in his best friend's eyes and the way Ryou and Malik had clung to their yamis when they were reunited. There was _no way_ that Silent Magician was going to escape.

As though in agreement, Seto put on one last burst of speed and dove forward, tackling Silent Magician. The duel monster squealed as the two of them slammed into the ground, slid for several feet, and then tipped over the side of a flight of stairs. Jou swallowed back the instinctive yell that went to escape and sprinted to the top of the stairs, gazing down worriedly. He was relieved to Seto sitting up with a groan and a dazed expression, but he was less than pleased to see Silent Magician was already on its feet. As Jou scrambled down the stairs, the duel monster lifted its staff and shoved it into Seto's face. The priest recoiled and the resulting flash of brilliant light caught both of them by surprise; Jou froze and nearly fell down the stairs in the process before he caught himself on the railing.

When the light died down, Silent Magician was gone. The corridor in front of them was extremely long but lined with doors; Jou realized that the monster must have hidden inside of one of the rooms because there was no way it could have escaped in such a short amount of time. Putting that aside momentarily, he rushed down the rest of the stairs to Seto's side and knelt, putting a hand on his lover's shoulder. His lips parted and he tried to ask Seto how he was doing, but nothing came out. Blinking, Jou pulled back, put a hand to his throat, and tried again. Although he could feel his throat muscles vibrating, no sound emerged.

Noticing his panicked expression, Seto's blue eyes cleared of their temporary daze and he reached up to grab Jou's hand, squeezing it warmly. "Don't panic," he mouthed, making sure that Jou was looking straight at him.

That was easier said than done, but Jou tried in vain to calm himself down. He really wanted to ask Seto what was going on, but interpreting mouthed words was a lot more difficult than the people on television made it seem. Seto was trying to say something to him, and he was sure that it was important, but Jou couldn't understand a single word. Finally, the brunette's shoulders slumped in a (silent) sigh and he released his lover's hand in order to push himself to his feet. His body swayed slightly as he stood up and Jou quickly stepped up beside him, sliding an arm around Seto's waist to offer extra support. Between the fall down the stairs and the attack in the forest, Seto was well on his way to collapsing.

Somewhat unsteadily, the two of them began making their way down the corridor and checking every room they walked past. Despite Jou's theory, Silent Magician wasn't in any of them. It was eerie walking along in complete silence. The hair on the back of Jou's neck rose and he shifted, unable to let go of the idea that anyone could be sneaking up on them and they wouldn't be able to hear it. Even the sound of their footsteps had been quieted. He couldn't help darting a nervous glance over his shoulder just to make sure that the hallway behind them was still empty. Seto's arm tightened reassuringly on his shoulder...

... And then it stopped. The sudden return of all the sounds made his ears ring after the oppressive silence; even the quiet squeak of their shoes against the floor, the sound of their combined breathing, and the creaks from the walls all felt too loud. Wincing, he stopped walking and gave his voice a test. "Seto?"

"I'm here, pup," Seto answered, his deep, rumbling voice a comfort.

"What the hell was that?" Jou demanded.

"One of Silent Magician's special abilities," the taller boy replied with a sigh. "I heard that the board of Industrial Illusions had considered including the magic card Silence Wave in the standard game, but it was decided the ability was too powerful. Pegasus has been building his duel monsters up with cards that only he has access to. He_ is_ the creator of the game, after all." He scowled. "It leaves us at a somewhat unfair advantage."

"It's fucking creepy," Jou muttered, wrapping his free arm around himself. It reminded him strongly of the nights that he'd spent hiding in his room and keeping as quiet as possible in order to avoid disturbing his father. "All that silence is unnatural."

Seto examined his pup with worried eyes, taking in the distant gaze and unusual tenseness in his shoulders, before smiling. It wasn't a very nice smile. "It's also excellent protection considering that a fair amount of duel monsters need to call forth their attacks," he said, purposely gentling his tone so that Jou would stay in the present with him. "Most of them would be left helpless in this kind of situation. Fortunately, Silent Magician will be facing a couple of creatures that have no such problems."

_Oh_. Jou smirked, bizarrely pleased by the turn of events. He'd always gotten a little bit of a rush from seeing his lover do magic; Seto was the epitome of grace and strength and wielded magic as easily as he did everything else. Of course, it also helped that his lover was incredibly hot when he was focused. "Do you want me to summon Red Eyes Black Dragon?" he asked hopefully. His back no longer pained him, so he knew that Red Eyes would have healed from their battle as well, and he was looking forward to seeing her again.

"Not yet," said the priest, easing his weight off of his shorter lover and standing on his own. He shook his head a couple of times and then leaned against the wall when he still felt a little dizzy. "You need to conserve your strength. Silent Magician is merely a starting point; the real battle is coming and I'll need your help then."

"You sure you can summon on your own?" It hadn't escaped his notice that Seto's face was pale and his balance seemed to be off.

"I'll be fine," Seto said, closing his eyes. Calling for the Blue Eyes White Dragon should have been effortless. The path between them was so well worn that he could have done it in his sleep. But when he reached out, it was like he was running straight into a wall. Beyond it, he could sense the presence of the Blue Eyes, but there was no way of getting around the barrier holding them apart. Worse, he could tell that Blue Eyes White Dragon wasn't even aware of the fact that he was trying to reach out to her. His eyes snapped open and he threw a hand out to Jou without saying a word. The blond arched an eyebrow but obligingly took Seto's hand. Seto tried again, throwing his and Jou's combined strength against the barrier.

Nothing happened.

He couldn't summon any monsters.

**GMA**

Shizuka had been huddled up to Yuugi as close as she could get to help keep the cold away for several minutes when she felt him stir at last. Blinking sleepily, she raised her head and looked at him, having gotten used to the steady movement of his arms as he plucked pieces of the puzzle out of the box and slotted them into place without a moment's hesitation. It had become a rhythm that was almost comforting and it had been lulling her to sleep while Mokuba kept watch. Now, though, Yuugi was staring down at the Millennium Puzzle with that far away, distant look in his eyes, his hand hovering uncertainly over the box. There wasn't much further to go, just a little corner that was missing about half a dozen pieces and the middle piece that had the symbol of the eye on it, but for some reason Yuugi was hesitating.

"Yuugi-kun? What's wrong?" she asked, rubbing her eyes tiredly and looking around for Mokuba. Obviously she'd slept - the sun was more than halfway down and night was coming on. Mokuba was nowhere in sight but she could see a trail of footsteps leading to the edge of the forest and she guessed that he was checking out the bushes to make sure no one was hiding in them. She sat up a little, instantly missing the warmth that had been created by leaning back against Yuugi, and twisted to look at him more fully.

As expected, Yuugi didn't answer her question - or even act as though he realized she had spoken to him at all. His fingers darted down and selected a golden piece, pressing it smoothly into the right spot. Shizuka watched and sighed, running a hand through her hair. She had a headache, and she felt hot and sticky even though the air had cooled around them. Yuugi was closer to finishing the Puzzle than she had expected he would be and she was nervous about what would happen once it was solved. Would he and Yami come back to them? Hopefully. It was nerve-wracking to be around someone who was acting like a puppet whose strings had been cut. He didn't talk, didn't sleep, didn't even blink. If breathing hadn't been an automatic, necessary function he probably would've stopped that too.

"Okay, morbid," she muttered, not liking the route her thoughts had taken. Dusting her shorts off, she got to her feet and gingerly rubbed the base of her neck with two fingers. "Mokuba? Are you there?"

There was no answer, but then again she hadn't really expected one. Shizuka sighed and scuffed her toe in the dirt as she linked her hands behind her back. It may have been safer outside the castle, but it certainly didn't feel like it. The forest's proximity made her feel like anyone could jump out and come at them and she wouldn't have time to do a damn thing about it. Uneasily, she crossed her arms and shifted back a step, wishing that she felt well enough to call upon a monster. But she was already tired as it was, and burning her energy for no real reason was pointless when there was the very real possibility of a fight hanging over them. It was unlikely that Hafiz or Pegasus were going to let them just walk out.

Behind her, the steady clicking of the Millennium Puzzle went on. Shizuka counted the pieces sliding into place silently - one, two, three, pause. Four, five. Pause. Six, seven - and turned when she realized that Yuugi was finally on the last piece. She twisted and looked down at him, suddenly wide awake, as his fingers reached down and picked up the last piece of the puzzle. Her lips parted instinctively, but no words came forth because she just didn't know what to say. Yuugi made a soft sound, a sigh of what may have been contentment or relief, as he slipped the last piece of the puzzle into place. For a long moment, nothing happened, and Shizuka realized that she was holding her breath.

Then the eye symbol on the front of the Puzzle burst into illumination with a light so bright that she cried out and instinctively turned her head away. Footsteps crashed in the forest, branches creaking and snapping, as Mokuba heard her yell, panicked, and fought to return to her. She held a hand over her eyes, yelling Yuugi's name, and groped blindly around for him, but her hand came into contact with nothing. By the time the light finally faded away and her vision had returned, Mokuba had reached her side and was staring down at the place where Yuugi had once been with a mingled look of horror and confusion that made her feel ill. Because Yuugi was gone, and only the Millennium Puzzle remained.

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Please review! You might just get some Yuugi/Yami smut out of it...


	36. Chapter 36

**A/N:** I haven't gotten that many reviews for a chapter in a while… I must promise puzzleshipping smut more often, apparently. Well, I have to say that it was _completely_ unplanned, as in the concept never even crossed my mind when I started writing this chapter. By the time it dawned on me where things were headed I was halfway through the scene and it felt so right that I couldn't stop. I'm not very practiced at those kinds of scenes, so I hope you all find it okay (and please know I'm embarrassed to post this). Enjoy!

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The ceiling was a soft, familiar shade of bluish white and he was lying on the world's most comfortable bed, with a mattress that supported every inch of his aching body, covered by a blanket that felt silk. Yuugi blinked hazily, realizing that he felt safe for the first time in days, and used his hands to push himself into a seated position. He recognized this place, he realized, looking around at the toys and games littering the floor with mild interest. It was his soul room, the place where he had first admitted that he wanted to stay with Yami. The room looked relatively unchanged from the last time that they had been there, bar the fact that the crescent moon on the wall was gone.

Did that mean that Maiden of the Moonlight's spell on him had been broken? Carefully, he eased his legs over the side of the bed and stood up, expecting pain. When there wasn't, he paused and looked his body over, noting that the wounds that had been on his physical body were conspicuously absent from his spiritual form. That was something, at least. It had been a while since he'd been able to walk around without _something_ hurting. He moved easily over to the wall where the mark had been and touched the unblemished surface hesitantly, remembering how tenderly Yami had held him in his arms. His hand dropped back to his side as the urge to cry threatened to overwhelm him again, but he gritted his teeth and forced it back, looking around for something with which to distract himself.

A door on the far side of the room caught his attention. Curious, he crossed the room and pushed it open, revealing a long, dark corridor that made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. Just barely visible through the dim light was a second door that was directly opposite his. It was much older looking than Yuugi's door, though, and made of what appeared to be a mixture of faceted gold and dark, rich wood. Half of the symbol that had been on the front of the Millennium Puzzle was stenciled onto the front in gold, and when Yuugi looked back at his own door, he saw that the missing half of the symbol was there.

"Two halves of a whole, huh?" he muttered, amusement and hope warring within him. Did that mean Yami was beyond that door? "Yami, are you there? Can you hear me?" His voice quivered with desperation as he crossed the hall and dared to place a cautious hand on the old wood. He shivered at the chill radiating through the veins of gold and started to back away, but then the door swung open beneath the force of his palm. Yuugi hesitated for only a few seconds before he stepped inside.

It was dark, which was the first thing he noticed, and that made it impossible to see anything that wasn't more than a handful of inches in front of his face. There was a circle of light surrounding him - no. The light was radiating _from_ him, illuminating the space directly around his body, giving him a circle of about a foot all around to work with. Everything beyond was cast in a shadow so deep and cold that he shuddered. Part of him wanted to go back to the safety of his own sunny little room, but the only thing he wanted more was the chance to see Yami again. And something was telling him that if he kept going he would have that chance.

"Yami, are you here?" he called out, sweeping his eyes blindly over the sea of darkness. It was totally disorienting and he couldn't help thinking that there was a strong possibility that something out there waiting to attack. "Yami, it's me, Yuugi. I want to see you. I heard that you were trapped in the Puzzle… I solved it and came to save you." His voice broke and he took a deep breath in a vain effort to comfort himself before he took a couple of steps forward, holding his hands out in front of him.

It was slow-going, as he couldn't be sure of where anything in the room was. Within a couple of steps, the door behind him was swallowed up by the darkness and he felt a sharp burst of panic. His breathing became faster, his heart began to pound, and his eyes darted around frantically, searching the shadows for a sign of anything familiar. But the only thing he could see was the ground, which was made what looked to be old stone. Fascinating, yes, but overall that wasn't very helpful. He shuffled forward a little more, realizing that Yami's soul room - was that even where he was? - must have been larger than his.

Something fluttered in front of him and he froze, old instinct driving him to his knees as a staff swung through the air directly where his head had been seconds earlier. Yuugi looked up, stunned, as a familiar figure stepped out of the darkness into the circle of light. The deep purple and black robes and blazing red eyes held him to the spot. "D-Dark M-Magician?" he gasped. "What…? How…? Why are you…?"

Dark Magician said nothing, but then he didn't really need to. The fact that he was holding his staff up above his head in preparation for another swing spoke volumes. Yuugi's body reacted before his mind had caught up, throwing himself to the side as the staff crashed harmlessly into the floor. His knees and palms scraped painfully against the stone floor as he leaned hard and fell over onto his side with a hollow cry. Instead of jumping to his feet, he huddled into a ball to make a smaller target and wished that the light would vanish so that he could hide in the shadows.

"Why are you doing this?" he cried, wrapping his hands protectively over his head. "I'm sorry for intruding. I didn't know that I wasn't supposed to. I just want Yami back!"

Blank eyes stared down at him dispassionately as Dark Magician stepped closer, staff held high for a third attempt. Yuugi cried out and threw his hands up without thinking. A tingling sensation that started in his chest shot down his shoulders and arms and burned out through his hands. Dark Magician staggered backwards as he was struck by the brilliant white light. His staff fell to the floor and for a long minute, he just stood there, eyes wide and unfocused, before he followed, collapsing to his knees and then sliding over to rest in a heap. He didn't move, and after several tense moments, Yuugi uncurled and crawled over to him.

"Dark Magician, are you alright?" he whispered worriedly. Even though the duel monster had been trying to kill him, he still felt horrible for having attacked one of his favorite cards. He reached out a hand that shook and tentatively patted the top of the helmet, half-expecting an attack. When nothing happened, he knelt beside the limp body and lifted Dark Magician's head onto his lap to keep it off of the cold floor.

"I'm so alone," he said out loud, absently smoothing the fringe of bright hair that stuck out from beneath the helmet. "I want to see Yami so much." A single tear slipped out from beneath his closed eyes and rolled down his cheek. It struck Dark Magician's forehead. Slowly, the duel monster stirred, opening blue eyes that were filled with clarity as he stared at the weeping boy above him. His hand rose, weakly brushing away the other tears that were falling.

Yuugi jumped at the touch and his eyes flew open. He was frightened until he saw that Dark Magician was smiling at him. Hesitantly, he smiled back. "Do you feel better now?"

Dark Magician nodded and pointed to Yuugi's hands, then pressed a finger to Yuugi's heart. Yuugi blinked, confused, as the monster gestured to the darkness around them and put his hands over his face. After a moment of thinking, he thought he understood what the Dark Magician was trying to say. "I healed you?" he asked, just to be sure. He received another nod and took a deep breath, not sure whether he wanted to ask the burning question. "Is that… what happened to Yami?"

There was a lengthy pause and then Dark Magician nodded a third time. Yuugi chewed on the inside of his cheek to keep from crying. It was several seconds before he could speak. "Dark Magician, take me to Yami. I don't care if it's dangerous or if he doesn't remember me. I want to be with him."

It was evident from the look on his face that Dark Magician wanted to do no such thing, but when Yuugi looked at him with pleading eyes, the duel monster gave in and got to his feet. Yuugi followed closely behind him as Dark Magician led him even further into the room. Now that there was someone with him, the shadows surrounding them seemed to become enraged. They lashed out at Yuugi, aiming to get past the circle of light that was keeping them away. But every time a tendril so much as touched the light, it retreated with a sound that was not unlike a squeal of pain. Shuddering, Yuugi edged closer to Dark Magician, wondering what could have happened to Yami that he would have become so twisted and tainted. Was there any hope at all lest for his other half?

After what felt like hours, though in reality was probably only a good ten or fifteen minutes, something came into sight. It was a throne, Yuugi realized, stopping when Dark Magician did. The light only reached the very bottom of the gilded gold, but it was enough for him to tell what the basic shape was. Another step brought black boots and slender ankles into view. Yuugi gasped and started to rush forward, but Dark Magician's hand snapped out and grabbed the back of his collar, preventing him from getting too close. He whimpered and fought the hold, trying to squirm free. There was a sharp sound, like someone had snapped their fingers, and then the restraining grip suddenly let go.

The unexpected release of his shirt threw him forward. He stumbled and fell to one knee with a sharp gasp and glanced up to see that the extra step had brought the boy on the throne into full view. It was Yami… or at least, some version of him. Dark jeans and a black tank top covered golden skin that had a few bright red welts here and there, mostly notably on the wrists and biceps, like he'd been restrained. His hair - yes, just like always, peaks of black tipped with ruby and decorated with lightning bolts of gold. Yuugi swallowed hard. Blank crimson eyes stared down at him. There was no recognition in those eyes; none at all.

"Yami?" he whispered tremulously, getting up and dusting his scratched palms off. There was a long, considering pause during which Yuugi's heart skipped several beats, and then the older boy stood up and walked down the handful of stairs separating them. He knelt gracefully in front of Yuugi, leaving their faces only inches apart. Yuugi stared back at him with wide violet eyes, fingers shaking with the urge to reach out and touch, to make sure that this was actually real and not just some dream he was having in the cell.

"Light," Yami said finally, his deep voice reverberating and sending shivers down Yuugi's spine. "_My_ light. Sweet, precious light." He opened his arms and, with a small, choked sob, Yuugi fell into them gladly. Throwing his arms around his yami's neck, he clung to the slender form and dissolved into tears.

Yami's arms closed safely around him, pulling Yuugi against his body so tightly that the hikari was practically sitting in his lap, and rocked him back and forth. Comforting words spilled into Yuugi's ears, but he was deaf to whatever Yami was actually saying. It just sounded so good to hear the older boy's voice, to hear the soothing beat of Yami's heart when he tucked his head against the firm chest, to feel the pressure of Yami's arms around him and know that it meant he was truly safe at last. Tears spilled freely down his cheeks and soaked into the dark shirt that his face was pressed into, but somehow, he didn't think Yami would mind.

"I solved the puzzle, Yami," he whispered after a long time, once his crying fit had eased and he could talk without the words coming out choked. "I wanted to see you so badly. Please don't leave me again."

"You saved me," Yami murmured into his hair, one of his hands tracing a comforting pattern on Yuugi's back. "Sweet little light, your presence has saved me from the shadows. If you want me to be with you then I will never leave your side. I will protect you always."

As wonderful as it was to hear the utter sincerity in those words, some distant part of him noted that what Yami had said sounded… odd. Sniffing, Yuugi pulled back a little - only a little, mind - and looked up into the face of his darkness. For the first time, he realized that something wasn't quite right. Nerves fluttered in his stomach. "Yami… you do know who I am, don't you?"

"You are my light. My savior, the one with the power to chase away the cold shadows," Yami answered without missing a beat.

Yuugi stared at him in disbelief when nothing else came, realizing that Yami didn't remember him - and not _just_ him, but everything about his life. The time in the puzzle had wiped his memory. His head whipped around, searching for the Dark Magician. "What happened?" he cried, scanning the shadows for any sign of the duel monster.

"Don't be upset, little light," said Yami, cupping Yuugi's cheek and gently turning the boy's eyes back to face him. "I am here with you. Is that not what you wanted?"

"Yes, but…" Frustrated tears filled his eyes. How was he supposed to explain everything that had been happening while Yami was trapped inside the puzzle at the mercy of the shadows? Seto, Bakura, Mariku - Yami wouldn't remember any of them, either. He ached at the thought, remembering those precious few times when the loss of Yami had visibly caught up to the other three. It had bothered all of them a lot more than they wanted to let on. How would they react when they found out what happened?

Wildly, he turned to glare at the shadows. "This is your fault! How _could _you? Return his memories to him right now!"

As it turned out, trying to order the shadows around was probably not the best idea he'd ever had. Yuugi bit back a shriek of fear when the inky pools of darkness began to strike at the light again, thrashing against his barrier in an effort to get inside. Every strike hurt, and he shrank back and twisted, burying his face in Yami's collarbone. Yami made some motion over his head and the relentless blows stopped, but he didn't lift his head. He couldn't seem to stop himself from shaking, even when Yami began rubbing his back again and murmuring more soothing words into his ears.

"Yami, please," he whimpered finally. "You promised that you wouldn't leave me…"

The hand rubbing over his back stilled. "Aibou…"

"Yami?" Yuugi's head snapped up and he peered intently into those familiar crimson eyes. Something flickered in the blank gaze, but it was gone too fast for him to be able to identify it. Still, the brief flash of emotion gave him hope that Yami was still in there somewhere. He rested his forehead against Yami's, maintaining their eye contact, and said, "Yami, do you remember what you told me when I didn't want to admit that I was your light? You said that we belonged together, that we were two halves of a whole. I didn't want to believe it but you wore me down until I had no choice but to admit that it was the truth. Please, you_ have_ to come back to me. I don't want to be alone anymore. I need you."

Without waiting for whatever response that the broken spirit might have come up with, Yuugi closed his eyes and fell into himself, reaching for the blazing power of the Millennium Puzzle. It had been a flickering presence in the back of his mind from the moment that his fingers had put the last piece into place, and now the power flooded him eagerly. With the help of the puzzle, he sought out that cold spot in his mind and soul where Yami had once resided. Their bond was shriveled and barely recognizable; still there, but so faint and beaten that Yuugi barely recognized it. Gently, he took hold of that cord and sent a rush of _everything_ that he had been feeling since they'd been separated rushing down it, including the pure _want _to have his yami back with him.

Yami's body shuddered at the influx of emotion and his head fell back as a ragged gasp was torn from his lips. It was so much. Too much. Within the grasp of the shadows, he'd forgotten about things like emotions or light or warmth. They had all been wiped from his mind and all he'd known was cold and dark and nothingness. The first appearance of the light that he held in his arms had brought some of them back, and he'd considered each one a tiny but priceless treasure, but he'd never imagined that there could be so much… _more_. Another groan escaped him as he unconsciously squeezed Yuugi tighter, searching for something concrete to hold onto that could help to tie him to the real world.

Emotions were flooding his mind - fear, pain, overwhelming grief, anger, panic, want, desire, joy, love, even a hint of lust - and each one was completely new and so, so _sharp_, filling him up with jagged corners until he thought for certain that he would burst from the overload. It was too much, but at the same time, it still wasn't enough. He reached out blindly, searching for that spot in his mind that was blazing with warmth so hot that it burned. Yuugi's gasp rang in his ears; it was the first time that they had reached out mentally to each other in days and never before had the response between them been so strong. Their bond was literally vibrating with a combination of magic and pent-up feelings, kicking them both into a frenzy. Yami did the only thing he could think of. He tipped his light's head up and kissed him.

With their bond so open and free, the kiss was even more intense than normal. Yuugi whimpered and wrapped his arms around Yami's neck, feeling his body thrum with every sensation imaginable as the lingering effects of the shadows fled Yami's mind, burned away by the force of his light. His yami gave an answering growl and gripped Yuugi's hips tightly, pressing his hikari firmly against him. With every second, the encompassing darkness that had yearned to swallow him whole was steadily retreating, leaving behind that which he had believed was lost to him forever. And he wanted more, so much more.

"Y-Yami…" Yuugi pulled back from the kiss, panting heavily. His violet eyes were huge and a becoming flush had spread across his cheeks. A soft moan escaped his swollen lips as he instinctively shifted his hips down, seeking more friction. Yami's lips moved to his neck, alternating kissing and biting in ways that made his heart pound. Too much but still not enough: their bond was going crazy and Yuugi couldn't help but love every minute of it. He couldn't get enough of being close to Yami after being deprived for so long. He ground down again with a choked gasp; there was warmth in his belly that was steadily heating, similar to what he'd experienced before when he was alone in his room, but at the same time stronger, like his body was melting and becoming one with the darkness that was clutching him so tightly.

"Aibou…" Yami breathed the word in between gentle but fierce nips that made his hikari squirm and whimper. He purposely bucked upwards, rubbing their erections together. Both boys moaned heavily as their completely open bond created a feedback loop that sent pure pleasure bouncing back and forth until it had magnified into an intensity that Yuugi hadn't thought possible. He gasped for breath and tilted his head back, giving Yami more access to his neck. His heart was hammering, his vision was fuzzy, it was so much, too much, he could hardly think, much less do anything but hold on.

"P-please… Yami…" Impulsively, he grabbed the older boy's head and pulled him up for another kiss. Their lips met and parted, tongues darting out to explore and experience. Yuugi whined and pressed down harder, searching for _more_ as he tangled a hand in Yami's hair. All thoughts of Pegasus and Hafiz, of the outside world in general, had completely vanished from his mind; all he could concentrate on was the feel of Yami's skin beneath his hands, the delicious sensation that was threatening to overwhelm him, the sweet taste of Yami's mouth…

Yami growled low under his breath and twisted, shifting his lighter half just _so_ in order to better orient their positions. Both of them groaned out loud at the resulting pleasure that skyrocketed through their bodies and across their bond. Breathlessly, Yuugi spread his thighs a little wider and rubbed harder; he could feel himself spiraling out of control as his breathing became heavier. He squirmed helplessly, never losing the wonderful, spectacular rhythm that was making bursts of light explode behind his eyes, and leaned his forehead against Yami's shoulder, soft pants and gasps filling the air between them. Close, so close, oh Ra, Yami's fingers were leaving trails of fire across his skin, and it was good, so good, better than he'd ever imagined, and – _oh_.

His body trembled and he cried out as he reached his peak. Yami groaned at the sheer pleasure washing through their bond and followed, his hips instinctively angling for one last thrust before he collapsed against his light, panting heavily. For several minutes, there was no other sound in the large room save for that of their ragged breathing as they gradually came back down from their high. Eventually Yami collected himself and began to place gentle, loving kisses against Yuugi's neck, dragging his tongue across the small red marks and bruises that he'd left. Yuugi smiled tiredly and wrapped his arms around the older boy's neck before he lifted his head, seeking out Yami's eyes.

"Have you come back to me?" he asked quietly, cheeks stained a pale pink. He'd never done that with anyone before, but with Yami, it felt so _right_ that he couldn't regret it. He hadn't known it was possible to feel that loved or to love someone so much in return.

"I never left you, Aibou." Yami's head rose, displaying vivid crimson eyes that were clear for quite possibly the first time in days. A gentle smile crossed his lips as he leaned forward and kissed the tip of Yuugi's nose. "Thank you for rescuing me, little one. I'm sorry that I couldn't be there for you when you needed me." His voice dropped, holding the raw edge of promise: for every affliction Hafiz had dealt his light, no matter how minor, he would pay the man back tenfold.

Once again, Yuugi's eyes filled with tears, though he closed them in an effort to keep the joyful and relieved tears back. It didn't work. Moments later, he felt Yami's lips gently kissing the tears away. "Don't cry, my sweet little light," Yami whispered, lips just barely brushing against the soft skin. "Did I frighten you?"

"No, Yami. I could never be scared of you," Yuugi mumbled. Their bond was still completely open, so he knew that Yami could tell it was the truth. He tightened his grip on Yami's neck just in case. "Yami… you didn't recognize me when I came in. You didn't know who I was."

"I've been in here for a long time, Aibou," said the reincarnated pharaoh wearily. "My soul was torn apart, completely encased in darkness, and the shadows have been wreaking havoc with my mind. I forgot about everything for a while, not just you, but I always knew I was waiting for something." He ran his hands up and down Yuugi's back. "Some of what I lost has been returned to me thanks to you, but many of my memories still feel very distant, and I know that even now I don't remember everything I should. But with further exposure to your light, the effects of the shadows should someday be eradicated completely."

"As long as you're alright." The unspoken 'because I don't know what I would do without you' lingered heavily between them. Yami smiled lovingly and tilted his head, catching his hikari's lips in a warm, sweet, un-hurried kiss, taking his time to fully taste the younger boy. Yuugi looked somewhat dazed by the time his yami pulled away and the blush on his cheeks had darkened, but his violet eyes were sparkling. He felt like he couldn't catch his breath, like his whole world had narrowed down to just him and his darkness... two halves, making a perfect whole. Part of him wanted to stay there forever, within the confines of the Millennium Puzzle where they were safe and no one could touch them, where there was no pain or anger or sadness, only warmth and pleasure and love.

He sighed. "Yami, we have to go," Yuugi said quietly, regret spilling through him. He didn't want to go, but now that thoughts of their friends and the dangers they were facing had filtered back in, he knew that they had to. "I was kidnapped by Maiden of the Moonlight and brought to Illusion Island. The others came here to rescue me but they're not in very good shape." Ra, he didn't even know if Ryou and Malik had been found by Bakura and Mariku yet. If not, the two hikaris were still wandering around with little protection, completely vulnerable to whatever was going on.

Yami sighed and captured one of his hands, kissing the tip of his index finger. "I suppose you're right. I do have some revenge to dole out," he agreed, deliberately allowing Yuugi's finger to slide into his lips. He sucked gently, enjoying the way his hikari's eyes darkened and the feel of the renewed interest against his hip. With a throaty chuckle, he released the trapped digit and flashed the younger boy a wicked smile. "But once we are off this wretched island, Aibou, you are _mine_."

Suddenly, his throat was very dry. Yuugi swallowed painfully hard and nodded silently, not even able to think about denying his yami anything. "Okay," he agreed, possibly a little too fast judging by the way that Yami groaned and kissed him again. He melted into the kiss immediately, willingly allowing Yami to take control, making small sounds that could have been whimpers in the back of his throat. This feeling was completely addictive, like loading up on sugar after being deprived for days. Every touch made his skin burn, every feeling made the bond sing, and the overload should have been too much, but he loved every second of it.

It was possible that they might have stayed there forever if it weren't for the base of a staff gently poking Yami in the shoulder. He released his hikari with a frustrated growl that made Yuugi giggle and sent a poisonous look over his shoulder at Dark Magician, who just smirked in reply. "Alright, little one, you two win. We should go now or we're not going to go at all," he muttered. Somehow, with the kind of grace and poise that only Yami could possess, he managed to get to his feet and scoop Yuugi up in his arms without stumbling or letting Yuugi go even once. The younger boy just shook his head and didn't try to squirm free, not when Yami's arms tightened possessively the instant he tried.

"Your soul room has changed," he noted with wonder, looking around. The circle of light was much wider now, revealing a fairly large room that was not unlike Yuugi's except for color and decoration, with walls that were a deep crimson, an old stone floor, and the throne that Yami had been sitting on before. There was a plush bed with what looked like velvet curtains off to the side; it was enormous and, he noticed with a blush, more than large enough for two people. Scattered around the room were innocent-looking things, such as pictures of Yuugi, Seto, Mariku, Bakura, Jou, Shizuka, and Mokuba - and the occasional decoration that must have held some significance to Yami, but something told him that touching any of those things would result in a fate worse than death.

"They're traps," said Yami, correctly interpreting what Yuugi was thinking. "Many things in my soul room have been designed to keep intruders out. They would never hurt _you_, little one, but anyone else who stumbled in here..." His voice trailed off.

"Could someone _do_ that?" His head snapped around as he asked the question, tracking a small bolt of shadow that was leaping from one corner of the room to the other, just beyond where the circle of light touched. He remembered what Yami had told him about how some of his memories hadn't returned yet and felt a flash of anger at the knowledge that the shadows would dare to stake a claim on _his_ darkness. A soft chuckle stirred the air next to his ear.

"_Your _darkness? I like the sound of that, my possessive aibou," Yami said with a smirk. "To answer your question, yes: Shadi possesses the Millennium Key, which he can use to see into your soul room and change it as he desired. And now I really think it's time to leave, before you start waging a war with the shadows. I really don't want to share you, either, and I know they will get addicted to the sweetness of your light if given the chance." He pressed a surprisingly chaste kiss to Yuugi's cheek. "Come and let us end this fight."

"Yes, my pharaoh," Yuugi said, a teasing grin on his face as he settled back in Yami's grip. Lust mingled with desire flowed across their bond and he groaned as the world around them tipped and whirled and wrenched. He had the feeling that freeing Yami from the grips of the shadows had resulting in him creating a monster... but somehow he couldn't really bring himself to complain too much. As long as they were together, that was all that really mattered.

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Please review and let me know what you thought!


	37. Chapter 37

**A/N:** Thanks so much for the reviews, which made me feel better about my try at smut. And now we're back with another chapter! In this chapter I had to pick out a duel monster for Mokuba. That was harder than you might think; as Mokuba doesn't really play the game (Capsule Monsters are quite different, sadly). Finally, I picked out Ryu-Ran, and if you're interested in seeing what this monster looks like, do a Google Image Search. The concept of a dragon in an egg seemed too perfect for me not to use. Enjoy!

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Something was wrong. Anzu wasn't really sure what it was, but there was a nagging feeling at the back of her mind that refused to be ignored, like when you walk into a room and know that someone has changed something even if you can't point out what exactly is different. Mai was stalking down the hall about three feet ahead of her, searching for Maiden of the Moonlight, and Isis was right behind them, though she seemed to be fairly preoccupied; she kept touching the Millennium Tawk and shaking her head, lips moving silently. Neither woman appeared to have noticed that anything was amiss, which made Anzu wonder if it was just her.

"Where the fuck did she go?" Mai hissed finally, spinning around. Her long blonde hair flew out behind her before cascading around her shoulders. Anzu watched in fascination. "We were right behind her and she just disappeared! This makes no sense. She's got to be here somewhere. There's no way that any of them would dare leave the castle with a Millennium Item. Hafiz would have a fit."

"Maiden of the Moonlight is a spell caster," Isis pointed out wearily. "She could be hiding from us with magic. Maybe you could use your partners to try and lure her out."

The idea made as much sense as anything else. Mai summoned Harpy Lady with barely a blink of her violet eyes. Anzu looked away and tried to summon Fairy's Gift, but nothing happened. _There_! a small voice whispered inside of her. Now she knew why something felt wrong, and it wasn't the room, it really _was_ just her. When she tried to reach out to her partner monster, it felt as though someone had built a smooth glass wall that reflected any attempts to pass through. Her magic skittered against it uselessly, unable to find even the slightest crack or weak spot, and then rebounded. She staggered backwards with a pained gasp.

Mai glanced at her. "What's wrong?" Almost as soon as the question was out, her eyes widened and she groaned out loud, stepping forward quickly. She seized Anzu's shoulders before the younger girl could collapse and stared closely at her. "Shit. I should have realized that they might put up the barrier."

"What do you mean? What barrier?" Anzu mumbled. Her head was now throbbing worse than it would have had someone come up behind her with a baseball bat.

"Another _precaution_ to keep anyone from acting against Hafiz." Mai practically spat the word. "It's to keep shadow magic from being used inside the barrier unless you've been here long enough for it to get used to you and vice versa. I've been here for so long, and my magic has built up so much, that it never even occurred to me to worry about you guys." She squeezed Anzu's shoulders and sighed. "I barely feel it anymore, but I remember that it was really hard to get used to at first."

"But I was able to summon Fairy's gift outside," Anzu protested, blinking away the mysterious spots that were dancing in front of her eyes. Mai's grip on her shoulders tightened further and she realized belatedly that her body had been swaying back and forth without her notice.

"You should've kept her here instead of sending her back," Mai muttered, thinking furiously. "The barrier only affects people who are in the castle. I bet Seto and Jou ran into the same problem."

Isis rubbed her hands together. "Is there anything that can be done? Could we take the barrier down?" she suggested, troubled. This was going to be nearly impossible if they were unable to summon any duel monsters. No wonder their entry into the castle had been so easy; Hafiz and Pegasus had been purposely drawing them here to make sure that they would be helpless. For the first time, she was forced to face the idea that none of them might walk away from this… and it was a chilling prospect.

"We could try," Mai said reluctantly. It was obvious that she hated the idea of giving up on the search, but she could see the logic in what Isis had said. Maiden of the Moonlight had been so powered up by magic cards that even Harpy Lady would have a difficult time taking her down alone, and there would reach a point where even Mai would have difficulty summoning monsters inside the barrier. She sighed. "Okay. I'm guessing it's probably a _Field Barrier_ card set to restrict the abilities of any unknown dark magic."

"Which is exactly what shadow magic is," Isis agreed. A thoughtful look crossed her face. If that was the case, then the magic that the hikaris wielded might still be in working order. There was nothing dark about the beautiful, soft white magic that she had seen them use. Could that kind of magic be used to summon monsters? Perhaps they were about to find out. "If that's the case, then Pegasus or Hafiz would have likely put it at the castle's highest point. Where is that?"

"North Tower," came the swift reply. "The other towers were blocked off years ago. No one can get in; believe me, I checked. That's the only accessible one."

"Then let's go." Isis slid an arm around Anzu's waist to help support the younger girl. Anzu moaned faintly when they took a step forward and hung her head. The world was spinning and it was not a pleasant experience. "I know, but the walking will make you feel better," she said soothingly. "It will help to reorient you. The backlash will fade in a little while. Just keep walking."

That was easier said than done - even just putting one foot in front of the other seemed to require major concentration - but surprisingly, Isis proved to be right. By the time that the four of them had made it to the staircase that, according to Mai, led to the northern tower, she was feeling better. Her vision had cleared and her head wasn't throbbing quite so badly, though every once in a while her heart would do a funny little skip, like the rhythm had been confused. She rubbed her chest idly and leaned more heavily against Isis as Mai stopped and bent to examine the door, which was, of course, locked. It was also protected by a trap card, meaning a duel monster's attack - or any force at all - would prove disastrous. Nothing could ever be easy or simple, Anzu thought with a sour smile.

"How exactly are we going to get rid of this card?" she said out loud, trying to remember everything she'd ever heard about Field Barriers. It wasn't much. "Don't you have to summon another one to send it to the grave yard? I haven't got anything like on me. Do either of you?" Her deck was mostly comprised of fantasy creatures with magic cards that would boost their strength and a few trap cards to trip her opponents up. It was strong enough to give Jou a run for his money every once in a while, and as long as she could summon guardians, that was all she'd ever cared about. Cards like the Field Barrier were beyond her expertise.

"We'll figure that out when we get up there." Running a hand through her blonde hair, Mai pulled out a single, slender bobby pin and started working on the lock. "I've never felt as close to my cousin as I do right now," she muttered with a smirk.

After helping Anzu to sit down against the wall so that she could watch, Isis left the two of them to work on the door and wandered back down the hall, feeling unusually restless. It almost felt like they were being watched, but by who? And why? She shifted uneasily as she twisted and began to walk back the other way, wishing that there was more she could do. Even when they were able to use shadow magic, her partner monster, Mystical Elf, could weave spells and enchantments with her voice but when it came to physical fighting she was of very little use. Isis had never felt that more keenly than she did at that moment.

Seconds before the arm wrapped around her throat, it flashed into her mind like a gift from the Tawk that she had been very foolish to leave Anzu and Mai and venture out on her own. Moments later, her back was slammed against someone's front – definitely female, her panicking mind noted – and she heard a cold, cruel laugh in her ear as her breathing was cut off. Maiden of the Moonlight smiled broadly as she pulled a familiar object from her clothing and extended it in front of them, revealing that she held the Millennium Rod with the dagger extended. Isis stiffened as the sharp edge was drawn down her cheek in an almost playful manner and couldn't help thinking about what Malik's reaction would be like if he found out that she had been killed by his own Millennium Item. No doubt her brother would never forgive himself. Isis gritted her teeth.

"I will comply with what you want," she stated coldly, disdain radiating from her voice. "As long as you do not kill me."

Maiden of the Moonlight chuckled. "I thought you might see it my way, but just in case you feel like changing your mind, I think I'll keep this lovely little dagger on you. Never know when you might get another idea." She turned, forcing Isis to turn as well, and the two of them began walking back down the hallway towards Mai and Anzu. It was instinct to try and call out to them for help, but she'd no sooner opened her mouth than the dagger was back, sliding gently over the curve of her cheekbone in an implied threat. Isis closed her mouth with an audible click and winced as they finally moved around the corner into the sight of her two friends.

Anzu was the first to notice, as Mai was concentrating on opening the door. She leapt up with a sharp cry when she saw Isis and Maiden of the Moonlight. "Isis!" she exclaimed. Mai whipped around, the bobby pin falling from her fingers when she saw what was happening. "Let her go!"

"I think not," the duel monster said. "Sit down, sweetheart. The fun is only just beginning." When Anzu didn't immediately follow the command, Maiden of the Moonlight deliberately pressed down with the knife. The skin beneath the tip split open like butter and a small trickle of blood slipped down Isis's cheek. She couldn't contain her gasp of pain. Anzu's knees folded immediately and she hit the ground with a thump, looking shell-shocked. "That's much better. See? When you follow orders everyone ends up happy. Now you, step away from the door or I'll carve her flesh from the bone." The knife pressed a little harder.

Mai's face went a couple of shades paler, but she obediently got to her feet and stepped back from the door. When Maiden of the Moonlight commanded her to sit down next to Anzu, she did so without saying a word. Maiden of the Moonlight looked the two of them over with narrowed eyes before she twisted Isis around and pushed her against the wall. Isis hit the stone with another muffled cry of pain and slid down slowly as her back, neck and shoulders throbbed. The duel monster hovered over them with a maniacal gleam in her eyes, running her thumb over the sharp edge of the dagger. She'd totally lost it, Isis realized, glancing at Mai and Anzu. Judging by the looks on their faces, both women had come to the same conclusion.

"See, what we could do here is have some fun." She tapped the Millennium Rod against her hand. "I could mind control all of you and make you go attack your little friends. Doesn't that sound like fun?"

"Not particularly."

"Malik!" Isis gasped when she saw her brother stepping around the corner. He was unarmed and appeared to be alone. "What are you doing here? Run!"

"And leave you behind?" Malik looked past Maiden of the Moonlight and attempted to smile. His eyes kept darting back to the Rod and his fingers twitched like he wanted to reach out and steal it back. It was evident that did not like the fact that the duel monster was boasting about using it. "No way, Nee-san, that's not happening."

"So the pretty little light has come to join the party." An ugly smile flashed across Maiden of the Moonlight's face. "Do you want to _play_, little one? You're so beautiful. I bet we could have some real fun together."

It happened so quickly that no one had the time to react. One minute Maiden of the Moonlight was standing there smirking broadly, and the next a sickening gasp left her lips and she slumped silently to the floor, nearly landing on top of Anzu. Isis stared down at her in shock, wondering what had happened as a small pool of blood began to form on the floor. That's when she saw the small dagger that was sticking out of the duel monster's back, right between her shoulder blades. Likely not a killing blow, but enough to impair and knock her unconscious. Mai dove for the Millennium Rod, snatching it off the floor, as Malik walked towards them.

"Are you alright?" he asked worriedly. "Nee-san? Are you alright?"

"Oh, Malik!" Isis forgot all about Maiden of the Moonlight in her haste to hug her brother. She shot up and clutched him tightly, torn between scolding him for taking that kind of chance and thanking him for saving their lives. He squirmed free and reached up to touch the side of her face, worry shining in his lavender eyes when his fingers came away covered in blood. "I'm fine. It's just a small scratch," she told him. Truthfully, the wound was burning with pain, but she didn't want to worry him anymore than he already was.

"Where did that dagger come from?" Anzu asked, still staring down at Maiden of the Moonlight.

Malik gave her a quick smile. "You really think I'd be allowed to come alone?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. As he spoke, Mariku stepped around the corner, a cocky smirk on his face. He sauntered towards them and only once he was close enough did Isis register the burning fury in his eyes.

"You?" she said with understanding, a little amazed. "You saved us?"

Mariku cast her a bored look. "_My_ light wants you to live and so you do," he said, putting special emphasis on the first word. It was accompanied by a look of pure, possessive hatred in Maiden of the Moonlight's direction. Malik winced and reached out to put a soothing hand on Mariku's arm.

"Don't. She's been dealt with, so please leave it," he said softly, pleadingly. Normally he wouldn't have minded a bit more vengeance after everything that she'd done, but right now all he really wanted was to get off the island. "When you can use your shadow powers, you can send her there, but please don't…" He swallowed hard and Mariku sighed, reaching out and hooking an arm around his waist. The pressure was beginning to get to all of them, but it was especially evident when it came to the hikaris. He cast one more look at Maiden of the Moonlight's prone form, wishing that he had the chance to do everything she deserved. His eyes gleamed. Perhaps he_ would_ send her to the shadow realm, if only so that he and Bakura could track her down later and enact a little vengeance...

"Here, Malik." Mai stood up gracefully and held the Millennium Rod out to him. "I believe this is yours."

Hesitating only a little, Malik reached out and took the Rod. As soon as his fingers closed around the hilt of the burnished gold, his eyes rolled up and he collapsed. Only Mariku's tight grip on his waist prevented him from crumbling to the floor in a heap. Instead, he fell safely into Mariku's arms. The yami scoffed at the surprised cries from the girls and rolled his eyes, scooping his other half up protectively. "There is nothing wrong," he said tightly. "The Millennium Rod is merely re-establishing a connection and it overwhelmed him."

"You seem fine," Anzu said suspiciously.

Mariku glared at her. "I am also a darkness, not a light," he stated coldly and then changed the subject. "Bakura and Ryou have gone to track down the Millennium Ring. It would be most helpful if they were able to use shadow magic while facing down other duel monsters." He gave them a pointed stare.

"Oh!" Shaking her head, Mai knelt and scooped up the bobby pin she'd dropped. She went back to work on the door, tilting her head in order to listen to the lock's mechanisms. Bakura had taught her how to pick locks when they were both very young; it was something her cousin had always been incredibly skilled in, and no wonder, considering his background in both of his lives. She'd never be as good as Bakura was, but... A triumphant smile spread across her face as the lock finally gave way beneath the pressure. "And that's how it's done," she crowed, rising quickly and putting a hand on the knob. The door swung open, revealing a tall, winding set of steps.

"And the card is up there?" Malik said doubtfully, staring tiredly through the door. He could see the problem with this immediately; anyone going up the stairs would be blind, never knowing what awaited them around the next corner. Just the thought of climbing that many stairs was making him feel dizzy, and he closed his eyes, resting his head on Mariku's shoulder. His yami shot him a worried look.

"We'll go," Isis said, frowning at how clingy her brother was being. Either the separation from his yami had bothered him more than he'd let on or Malik was in pain. Neither option made her overly thrilled to contemplate. "You two find Bakura, Ryou, Seto and Jou. It's time to finish this mess once and for all."

For once, Mariku didn't argue with her, though he would have sorely liked to have gone with them just in case Hafiz was hiding at the top of the tower with his precious card. Instead, he merely nodded to her and began walking back down the hall, half-carrying his hikari. Malik just sighed and tried to concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other. Isis gazed after them, concern flashing in her deep blue eyes. Anzu and Mai exchanged looks before Mai sighed and put a hand on her hip, gesturing for Harpy Lady to go first. If there was something waiting up there to ambush them, she had no intention of being the first in the line of attack.

**GMA**

Shizuka stared down at the Millennium Puzzle for a long time before she dared to move. Tentatively, she knelt down and reached out, poking the puzzle with the tip of her finger. When nothing happened, she felt safe enough in reaching out and picking it up by the chain. It was quite a bit heavier than she had expected it to be, and bizarrely, the first thought that came to her mind was to wonder how Yuugi could wear it around his neck all the time without experience back and neck pain. She shook her head, dismissing the thought, and stood up before turning to look at Mokuba, who looked as floored as she felt. Both of them glanced down at the golden puzzle, uncertain as to what they should do next.

"Do you think Yuugi-san is in the puzzle with Yami-san?" Shizuka asked finally. Part of her felt like she shouldn't have been holding the puzzle at all, like she was committing treason just by touching it, but then again, it didn't feel right leaving it in the dirt, either. The part of the chain that she wasn't holding flapped loosely in the wind, clinking against the puzzle with a high-pitched sound that made her teeth ache. She tried not to grimace.

"I hope so. I don't know where else he could be." Mokuba seemed doubtful. He didn't know that much about the Millennium Items, and the puzzle was the most mysterious of all. "Maybe we should wait a little while and see if something changes."

"Like what? I don't feel comfortable waiting out here, Mokuba. What if something has gone wrong inside the castle?" A worried look flashed across her face and she tightened her grip on the chain, wishing that they had never come to Illusion Island. She just knew that something wasn't right. "I think we should go inside. The others might need our help and, as long as we have the Puzzle with us, we're technically still protecting Yuugi."

Mokuba couldn't help smirking. "I'm not quite sure that's what Nii-sama had in mind," he muttered, but he couldn't deny that Shizuka had a valid point. What was the point of waiting outside when there was no one around to protect? He turned and looked apprehensively at Illusion Castle, then impulsively pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. His eyes widened. Amazingly, his phone had found a signal. Immediately, he tried calling Seto and then, when Seto's phone went straight to voicemail, Jou. No answer. Undeterred, he put in a call back to the mainland, determined to get into contact with _someone_. It was incredible how much better he felt when someone actually picked up on the other end.

While Mokuba was speaking into the phone, Shizuka wrapped the chain around her belt so that the puzzle hung from her hip. She didn't feel right in wearing it around her neck, but putting it in her backpack left it open to being stolen again if someone took her bag. And if Yuugi and Yami were really inside, that was the last thing that she wanted. Mokuba turned to her with a triumphant grin as he closed his phone. An eyebrow rose when he saw what she had done with the puzzle, but he let it drop in favour of sharing his good news.

"I got into contact with Kaiba Corp," he reported. "They're tracking the signal on my cell phone's GPS. As soon as they have a lock on it, they're going to send two helicopters out to us. We're going to have a way off of this island."

Relief flooded through Shizuka and she let out a sigh before she grabbed his arm and squeezed it tightly. "Thank god. How long will it take them to get here?"

"A while. They have to prepare the helicopters and make sure they've got enough medical supplies," Mokuba answered grimly. "They'll be bringing our personal doctor along, too." His jaw tightened. "It looks like our journey on the boat was designed to take an especially long time. From what I was told by our security personnel, it sounds like the captain purposely steered the ship in a huge circle a few times, probably to throw us or anyone who might have been trying to follow our progress off. Fortunately, since the helicopters will be coming straight here, the journey won't take them nearly as long."

Shizuka was trembling with anger as she remembered their miserable journey. "That bastard," she seethed. "Is there nothing that Pegasus won't do?"

"Probably not." He turned towards the door of the castle and closed his eyes. Shizuka felt the shadow magic twisting the air and a dull cloud of purple smoke appeared. It slowly morphed into Mokuba's partner monster, Ryu-Ran. The duel monster peeked out at them and voiced an inquisitive chirp from within the shelter of its egg. Mokuba reached out and stroked the shell softly as he said, "Do you think you can summon Red Archery Girl?"

"I think so. She should be okay." She hadn't tried to contact her partner since Red Archery Girl had fallen during the fight with the spider duel monster. At that time, Red Archery Girl had retreated to the Shadow Realm when Shizuka passed out to avoid being sent to the graveyard. Shizuka breathed in slowly and felt something deep inside of her wrench. It took much longer for Red Archery Girl to materialize than Ryu-Ran had, and when once she had, the duel monster looked as tired as Shizuka felt.

"Okay, let's go." Mokuba took her hand and walked briskly over to the door, pulling it open like he wasn't at all worried about what lay on the other side. Ryu-Ran marched through first, shell open a slit so that the duel monster could see any enemies that might coming. He and Shizuka followed with Red Archery Girl bringing up the rear.

Illusion Castle was eerily silent. There didn't seem to be anyone around, though Mokuba remained on guard just in case. The door had led them into what appeared to be the servants' quarters. They passed by several empty bedrooms and storage rooms and found themselves standing in a massive kitchen. Half-filled pots and pans, measuring cups, bowls, and silverware were cluttered on the stove and counters, like the staff had walked out in the middle of cooking. The stove had even been left on and there were several pots boiling over, creating a dreadful mess, and there was a ton of food sitting out on the table. Ryu-Ran made a hungry sound when it noticed the display of sweets.

"How odd; it's like they were expecting company." Unlacing her fingers from Mokuba's, Shizuka walked across the room and examined the desserts closely. There was every kind of confection imaginable, from pie to cookies to cupcakes, and every single one looked delicious. She swallowed hard, suddenly aware of the emptiness of her stomach.

Mokuba moved over to the stove and turned the burners off automatically. "Don't eat those. You don't know what's in them."

"It just seems like such a waste," Shizuka said with a sigh. Her eyes widened when she spotted a particularly delectable cupcake. It was covered in bright blue icing and decorated with small pieces of blueberries and strawberries, and she couldn't resist reaching out to pick up. She peeled the wrapping off just enough to reveal that it was chocolate. Oh god. Her stomach growled even louder and she could practically feel the drool sliding down her chin.

"Go ahead. It's not going to hurt you."

"Shit!" Mokuba yelped, jumping about a foot in the air, and spun around. There was a very familiar, very tall man with long silver hair standing in the doorway. He was dressed in a bright red suit that would have drawn attention in the thickest of crowds. Both teens recognized him instantly. "Pegasus, what are you doing here?" he demanded warily, all instincts going on red alert. Ryu-Ran shifted and growled threateningly.

"I was hungry," Pegasus said as though it was obvious, sauntering over to the table. "Good choice," he added, glancing at Shizuka as he selected a cupcake of his own. The one he had picked up had brilliant pink icing the color of cotton candy, and it had been carefully and lavishly decorated with red and green gummi bears. He plucked a bear off and popped it into his mouth, closing his eyes in bliss. "I just love gummi bears, don't you?"

"Um, yeah," Shizuka said tentatively, confused. The last time she had seen Pegasus, the man had been sending her and Mokuba back to Jou and Seto after it became clear that their siblings did not possess a Millennium Item after all. Those few nights had easily been the most frightening of her life and she never wanted a repeat. Pegasus glanced over at her and she caught sight of a gold flash from behind his curtain of silver hair.

"There's no need to be afraid," he said, sounding surprisingly gentle. "You won't be harmed while you're with me."

"We're not _with_ you," Mokuba said. "We came to rescue Yuugi and fight you!"

"Ah yes, fighting. Such a boring activity." Heaving a put-upon sigh, he took a huge bite of the cupcake, accidentally smearing pink icing all over her cheek. Shizuka giggled before she could stop herself and he winked at her with his visible eye. "Honestly, even though I created Duel Monsters, it was never my intention for it to lead to such drama. If you want the boy, you're free to take him as far as I'm concerned. But of course, my yami might have something to say about that. He does get in such dreadful moods when he can't have something he wants."

There was a moment of silence during which Shizuka absorbed his words and realized that there was something not quite right about them. "Hang on, your _yami_?" she repeated, blinking at him in confusion. Suddenly, she jumped, nearly dropping her cupcake, and looked away from Pegasus, staring down at the Millennium Puzzle.

"That's correct," Pegasus said pleasantly, ignoring her odd behaviour. "Enjoy your cupcake, young lady." He wandered out the room, leaving behind two completely baffled pre-teens behind.

"Did that just happen?" Mokuba asked after a moment's pause. When he didn't get an answer, he turned in time to see Shizuka biting into the cupcake she was holding. "Shizuka-chan!"

Shizuka held a finger up in his direction. "Fgoo," she mumbled through a mouthful of chocolate, icing and berries. She finished chewing and swallowed, staring down at her cupcake with a speculative expression. Half of her was expecting to feel the effects of some kind of poison, but of course, nothing happened except for the subtle tingling that spoke of an incoming sugar rush. "It's good," she repeated thoughtfully, looking up to stare in the direction that Pegasus had gone. Then she glanced down at the Puzzle and touched it tentatively with the tip of her finger.

"Oh, I know that look," the boy said with resignation. "You're planning something that's going to get us into a lot of trouble when Nii-sama and Nii-san find out."

She smirked and licked some icing off of her fingers. "You love it," she teased, walking quickly towards the exit. Just before she left the room completely, she unhooked the puzzle from her belt and set it gently down on the counter. With one last loving stroke, she stepped out into the hall. "Now, come on, unless you'd like to stay here and clean the kitchen." Mokuba just shook his head, holding back a grin, and headed after her with Red Archery Girl and Ryu-Ran in tow.

In the empty room, a strange, haunted silence descended. It almost seemed as though the room was waiting for something to happen. After a long, tense moment, the Millennium Puzzle shuddered and the gold began heating rapidly. The eye symbol started to glow with a strange grey light before a beam shot out into the middle of the kitchen. Very slowly, the beam grew and took on an unusual shape that gradually solidified into two teens, one of whom was safely cradled in the arms of the other, and the tall figure of a duel monster. Both boys glanced around with interest as the light shining from the puzzle grew dimmer before disappearing altogether, leaving them alone.

"We're back, Aibou," the older one stated simply. His crimson eyes glimmered as a faint smirk crossed his face. "Now... it's time to have some_ fun_."

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Please review!


	38. Chapter 38

**A/N:** Thanks for the reviews. I'm really glad you guys like my interpretation of Pegasus. He always seemed like such a child on the inside to me, like he did things without even understanding the consequences or why someone would be really angry at him. I tried to keep that mentality going in the story because I really don't think he's an evil person. Now, Hafiz on the other hand… Enjoy!

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When Ryou was younger, his sister Amane absolutely hated the dark. She would cry every time that their parents forgot and tried to put her to bed without turning her nightlight on. Even when she was older, and past the age where she felt that sleeping with a nightlight was appropriate, Amane would still leave her door open just a little bit. There had been several nights when Ryou had woken up to find that his sister had crawled into bed with him instead, because she envied the way that Ryou had never been afraid of the dark. He'd always found comfort in the darkness, and he had always insisted that there be no light in his room when he was trying to fall asleep. The darkness, he felt, was his friend.

But now... all of a sudden, Ryou felt like he could understand where Amane had been coming from for the first time. He stared blankly down the hallway (or at least, he_ thought_ he was looking down the hallway. For all he knew, there was a wall two inches away from his face) and tried not to breathe too loud as he wondered, somewhat frantically, where Bakura had gone. The two of them had decided to go after Silent Magician, Seto and Jou, but before they'd caught up to the others, Bakura had stopped and commanded him to stay before charging around the corner. Ryou had been left standing there like a good little hikari when, without warning, the lights went off and the whole corridor was plunged into darkness. Because there were no windows, he couldn't even see his own hand when he lifted it and waved it in front of his eyes.

And although he hadn't moved, he had the distinctly unpleasant feeling that something had changed. The skin on the back of his neck prickled and he held his breath, listening hard. For several seconds, there was nothing. Then – from somewhere behind him, much closer than he would have liked – he heard an odd sound. It took him a moment to realize that it was the sound metal would have made when grating against a cold stone floor. Instinct took over and drove him to the ground with his hands clasped protectively over his head just as the wind whistled and metal clanged above him when it impacted with the wall. Ryou rolled and came to a stop a few feet away, heart pounding.

Bakura! Where was Bakura? His eyes searched the dark frantically, but he didn't dare call out for his other half, not when there was a duel monster in the darkness with him. That would mean giving away his position. Instead, he mentally grabbed their bond and sent every last bit of fear and panic he could muster flooding through it. The rush left him feeling drained and exhausted, and he took a deep, shaky breath, wishing more than anything that the lights would come back on. In the dark there was no way to tell where the next attack was going to come from. He was afraid to move, but at the same time staying where he was made him a sitting duck.

Cautiously, he reached out, fingers seeking the wall. His hand impacted with something hard and cold almost instantly. Ryou frowned, wondering if he'd touched the wall – if so, he was closer than he'd thought. He continued to explore, using his other hand to help, and realized that he was touching something round, large enough that his hands couldn't meet when he wrapped both around it, and metallic, like... _Oh_. With a panicked squeak he threw himself backwards, and this time when his back struck the wall he scrambled to his feet, wondering what the hell was taking his yami so long. The duel monster took another, nearly silent, step forward, but now that Ryou knew what he was listening for he could track the movements. For every step the monster took, Ryou edged sideways, his hands searching the wall.

Something hard jabbed against his hip and he flinched as he accidentally knocked over a stand. His foot got tangled and he went down with it. Pottery shattered on the floor, followed by two loud thuds as both the stand and Ryou struck. He winced, gasping in pain as sharp pieces of ceramic sliced into his hands and arms, and twisted, looking up blindly. There was a voice screaming in his head, telling him to get up and move, but his legs were all tangled up in the stand and his hands were slippery with blood, unable to get enough friction against the floor so that he could push himself up…

"_Dark Magic Attack_!" The voice was low and rough, unfamiliar to Ryou, but welcome nevertheless. He heard the duel monster that had been chasing him screaming in pain as it was blasted against the wall. Ryou took the chance to sit up, feeling dizzy and disoriented, and jumped when hands grabbed his shoulders. It took him a full minute to realize that he was just being pulled to his feet.

"Come on, Ryou. Get up!"

"Y-Yuugi?" Ryou asked in stunned confusion. His heart was beating so fast that he could barely breathe, let alone think. "I... I'm caught..." Someone pushed the stand away from him and then he was hauled to his feet and kept there even when his legs nearly gave out on him. He allowed Yuugi and whoever was with him to lead him down the hall and away from the sounds of the battle behind them. They turned the corner and - _ow_. A low, pained cry escaped him as he threw his hands up to shield his eyes. After so long in pitch darkness, his eyes were burning at being thrust into the light again.

"Ryou, are you okay? You're bleeding." Fingers touched the numerous small, shallow cuts on his lower arms, wrists, and hands.

"I'm fine," he mumbled, keeping his eyes closed. It was a relief to hear Yuugi's voice and know that it meant his friend was functioning again. The last time he'd seen Yuugi, he and Malik hadn't been able to get a single word out of him. Did that mean the Millennium Puzzle had been solved? Cautiously, his curiosity greater than the threat of the pain, he forced his eyes to open. Straining to see past the teary blurriness, he could just barely able to make out two familiar dark figures standing over him, both with spiky hair. Relief, hot and heavy, shot through him. "Yami-san?"

"It's me, Ryou," Yami replied gently, crouching down in front of the boy. He took one of Ryou's hands and inspected the scratches and cuts more closely. Most of them had stopped bleeding already, he was pleased to note. "Aibou solved the Puzzle and set me free. Are you alright? Where's Bakura?"

"I don't know." Ryou swallowed hard against the burning urge to cry. There was a lump in his throat that was not helping. "He went down the hall and told me to stay put… so I did…"

"That idiot," Yami sighed and stood up. "He must have gotten into a fight or he would have come running when you were attacked. Honestly, he should have known better than to leave you alone. Pegasus has duel monsters all over the place. It's always been one of his greatest security measures, even before Hafiz came into the picture."

"Maybe you should go find him," said Yuugi, giving Ryou a worried look.

Yami smiled wryly. "And leave you alone? I don't think so."

Ryou rubbed his eyes and squinted up at them. "Who – or what – was that?" he asked, feeling slightly embarrassed when the two of them broke the look they were sharing to turn to him.

"Dark Blade," Yami answered, reaching down and taking hold of his wrists. He helped Ryou to his feet. "He has a tie to the Dark World, as you might have noticed. That's how he killed the lights. Fortunately, there are other dark monsters that work just as well in darkness." His smirk was roguish, bordering on evil, as something stirred around the corner. Ryou jumped and stared as Dark Magician emerged from the swell of shadows and walked calmly over to them, looking no worse for the wear. Yuugi smiled and waved, looking delighted when Dark Magician nodded in return.

"You saved me?" Ryou asked timidly, remembering the familiar call. He recognized it now. "Thank you."

"It was no problem. Now, come on, you two, let's go and see if we can track down that errant yami of yours." Yami led the way down the hall, his body tense. He was prepared for anything that might jump out at them. It was true that some of his memories had yet to return, but he hadn't forgotten what he knew about Pegasus and Hafiz. Seeing Ryou's state was only further confirmation that both men had to be stopped before they caused irreparable damage with their selfish actions.

"Are you alright, Ryou?" Yuugi whispered as they fell into step behind Yami. Dark Magician brought up the rear, just in case something tried to attack them from behind. "You fell pretty hard in the hall."

"I'm okay, Yuugi. I feel much better now that I'm not alone." That was partially true, but now that he was out of danger, he was growing worried about Bakura. It wasn't right that Bakura hadn't answered him, and Ryou couldn't feel anything through their bond except for mild annoyance. Had something happened? Would he have even noticed past the adrenaline and panic that had engulfed him while Dark Blade was trying to kill him? He noticed Yuugi's doubtful look and closed his eyes, sighing. "I'll be alright once we find Bakura," he added more honestly, and felt Yuugi's hand slide into his.

Yami stopped walking suddenly, his face turning grave. "You two stay here. Dark Magician, protect them," he commanded.

"Yami, where are you going?" Yuugi's violet eyes filled with fear and he took a half-step forward. He didn't want Yami to be fighting so soon, not when he kept feeling like the older boy would disappear at a moment's notice.

"It's alright, Aibou, I'll be right back," Yami said soothingly, cupping his light's cheek. "I promise."

Yuugi nodded hesitantly and reluctantly watched as Yami disappeared around the corner. Dark Magician ushered him and Ryou over near to the wall and took up a guard position right in front of them. Ryou was more than happy to take the opportunity to sit down before he fell down. His legs were trembling and he felt weak. Looking less than pleased, Yuugi knelt beside him, eyes fixed on the spot where Yami had disappeared. Both of them were nervous, and Ryou leaned his back against the wall and closed his eyes in an effort to relax.

"Do you really think we'll be able to do this?" he mumbled, the question coming out before he had really stopped to think twice about it.

"I think so," Yuugi replied quietly, twisting his hands together nervously. He hadn't thought about what would happen after and he didn't really want to. "Once Hafiz is gone… We won't have to worry anymore."

Ryou just sighed, wondering if that was really the truth. From what he had seen so far, it seemed like they were just running in circles, like they were dolls and Pegasus was the one making them dance. It wasn't a pleasant feeling. He leaned his head back further and then yelped when the wall behind him suddenly disappeared. He caught himself with his hands before he could fall very far and twisted as Yuugi and Dark Magician both spun around. The smaller boy chuckled when he realized what had happened and reached down to grab Ryou's arms, helping his friend to sit up.

"You leaned against a door," he said, amused.

"I hate this damn castle," Ryou grumbled, rubbing the back of his head and hoping that his pounding heart would slow down soon. If this kept up he was going to have a heart attack. "I thought for sure that a duel monster had come up behind me."

"Let's not give them any ideas, yeah?" said Yuugi, raising an eyebrow, unconsciously cupping the Millennium Puzzle in a surprisingly tender movement. Ryou eyed him, feeling jealous and wishing that he had the Ring back.

"I'm sure that's an idea they couldn't have come up with on their own," he muttered, but lapsed into a tense silence anyway. Dark Magician resumed his guard stance, eyes searching both ends of the corridor warily. He stiffened suddenly, causing both Yuugi and Ryou to stare him. The duel monster was staring intently at the left end of the hall, opposite where Yami had disappeared to. At the same time, Yuugi jumped.

"Oh! Yami found Bakura, Seto, and Jou," he whispered.

"Really?" Ryou felt relieved to hear that bit of good news even as he stumbled to his feet to see what was happening now. There was something coming around the corner… something large… and Dark Magician was stepping forward, staff raised threateningly, as a knight in black armour lumbered heavily around the corner. It was carrying something in its arms, a bundle wrapped in old, stained cloth, which it set down on the ground about ten feet away of them. All three looked on in uncertain confusion as Dark Blade reached down and removed the cloth from the bundle's face. Horror paralyzed Ryou and he felt his hands begin to shake.

It was his father.

**GMA**

Following Pegasus was turning out to be an exercise in both patience and stamina. The man was leading them through an increasingly complicated route, sometimes choosing to take hidden paths that wandered inside of the castle's walls instead of using the normal hallways. It was no wonder, Mokuba thought wearily, that he and Hafiz hadn't been taken down yet. At this rate both of them would be able to move through the castle without ever being seen. _Why_ Pegasus was choosing to show them all of his secrets, he had no idea. And even more puzzling, Pegasus seemed to see the fact that they were following him as some sort of game as opposed to a threat, even though he and Shizuka had their partner monsters present and he didn't.

"Where are we going?" Shizuka asked finally, breaking the silence. She'd long since finished her cupcake and didn't seem to be feeling any ill effects from it. Mokuba was beginning to wish that he'd indulged in one, too. His stomach felt painfully empty.

"You'll see," Pegasus said over his shoulder. "This is very exciting. It's been a long time since we had visitors, you know."

Mokuba and Shizuka exchanged doubtful looks. The further they went, the more they were beginning to think that Pegasus wasn't operating with a full deck of cards. "And how much longer will it take us?" he asked, not even wanting to think about what would happen if Seto went back outside and discovered that he and Shizuka weren't there anymore.

"A journey can't be measured in time," the man said mysteriously, but with a definite air of glee. He clapped his hands as they came to what appeared to be another dead end and reached up to the top of the wall. Mokuba wasn't quite sure what he pressed, but it caused a small panel on the opposite wall to slide up. Pegasus marched across the hall and ducked, just barely fitting into the little tunnel. Shizuka hesitated before following, and Mokuba knew she had come to the same conclusion that he had: there was no way that their partners were going to fit through that tiny space.

"We should stop following him," Shizuka said finally.

He felt a burst of relief at her display of common sense. "Yes, we should."

"It would probably be dangerous to go in."

"I agree."

"And I best Nii-san and Nii-chan would be angry."

"Yes, they would."

"Especially if they knew we'd gone alone."

"I'm glad we're on the same page here."

"Right, well, let's do it then." Shizuka clapped her hands and started to move. Mokuba sputtered and lunged forward, belatedly realizing that she had just been psyching herself up instead of talking herself out of it, like he'd thought. He caught her arm just before she got to the hole and stopped her from actually entering.

"Shizuka-chan! Are you insane? You can't go in there alone with_ Pegasus_, of all people. What if he's leading us to Hafiz? What if this is some sort of trap?" His voice came out far more strained than he would have liked. He never wanted to see that man again if at all possible. The memories from the last time that he and Shizuka had undergone their 'hospitality' still featured prominently in many of his worst nightmares and he knew that Shizuka felt the same way. "It's too dangerous."

"Mokuba, I know that it's dangerous." Shizuka had her head lowered so that her bangs fell forward across her eyes. She didn't turn to face him, either, not even when he tugged on her wrist. "I know that. I... I think about that time too. It's been on my mind ever since we got here. But if there's even the slightest chance that walking through there can end this whole miserable experience once and for all..." Her head finally swung around to look at him. There were tears in her eyes. "Isn't that worth whatever might happen to us? We're guardians after all. The Pharaoh and everyone else are supposed to be our number one priority, right?"

His stomach twisted, because yes, she _was_ right, even though he was loathe to admit it. Slowly, he released her arm. "You're right," he muttered, running a hand through his hair. "God, you're right. I hate to admit it, but... Okay. Let's go."

"I don't like it any better than you do," she confided softly, reaching out a hand. Red Archery Girl vanished in a swirl of dark purple-grey smoke. "I hate it actually. I know Nii-san and Nii-chan are going to murder us when they find out... and I know they will because somehow Nii-san_ always_ knows." A tremulous smile formed on her lips. "I'm trying not to think about that part of it."

In spite of himself, he chuckled. "Agreed." Reluctantly, he released the power that was keeping Ryu-Ran bound to the real world and took a deep breath before he stepped towards the tunnel. If they were going to do this, there was no way he was letting Shizuka go first.

The hole was just as small as he'd thought it would be, but by sliding sideways, hunching his shoulders and ducking his head, he was able to slip inside. Mokuba inched along, hands pressed flat against the wall, towards the shaft of light spilling into the other end of the tunnel. It wasn't very bright and when he reached the other side he saw why. There was a gauzy red curtain hanging over the exit. He slipped out and stood behind the curtain, waiting. Shizuka popped out beside him a minute later. They could hear Pegasus talking in low tones to someone, but he couldn't tell who it was. After a tense few seconds, the curtain was pulled back and Pegasus beamed at them.

"I wondered if you were coming," he declared pleasantly. "Come along, come along. We have much to do and not much time to do it in, you know."

"Who were you talking to?" Mokuba asked suspiciously, looking past Pegasus. The room was empty.

"No one, my dear boy." Pegasus didn't even pause to look at him. He was already striding across the room, heading towards a door on the opposite side wall. Strangely enough, when he got to the door, he stepped to the right side and ran his hands over the wallpaper. Mokuba raised his eyebrows as Pegasus ignored the actual door and opened a_ second_ door, one that had been so well hidden that he never would have guessed that it was there.

"This place is like a damn fun house," he muttered.

"Be nice," Shizuka chided him gently. The two of them hurried across the floor and through the door, which snapped shut behind them. They weren't left in complete darkness, though, because there were several old-fashioned lanterns on either side of the passageway. Each one was lit with a single flickering candle, which were plentiful enough that they could see where they were supposed to go. Shizuka eyed the staircase with some anxiety, noticing that it was extremely small, with only enough space for one person to go up at a time. She started to step forward but Mokuba caught her arm. When she glanced back at him, he shook his head and moved past her.

The stairs proved to be more frustrating than he'd initially thought they would be. They weren't very wide, meaning that he couldn't get his whole foot on one. His feet kept sliding and more than once he nearly went down on his knees. Shizuka was right behind him, and she had a little bit of an easier time because her feet were smaller, but she tripped once or twice too. Even worse, there was no railing, and the stairs twisted often, tight curves that Mokuba had to squeeze through. He'd been kidding before when he'd made the remark about the fun house, but now he was starting to think that he'd been on to something. He could hear Pegasus moving ahead of them, but no matter how fast they went, they never caught up to him.

"Where the hell is he taking us? And how did he even fit through here?" he asked breathlessly, pausing. He jammed his back against the stone, keeping himself there by planting his foot against the opposite wall, and took a couple of deep breaths. His calves were burning and his heart was pounding.

"No idea, but this staircase must have been built ages ago," she replied, running her hand across the wall. "Look at all the dust. The palace servants must never come back here. I bet Pegasus uses these halls to get all over the castle without anyone being the wiser." Their eyes met and the same thought passed through their heads. Did Hafiz know about the passages?

"Maybe he doesn't," Mokuba said slowly. "I always wondered how Pegasus got down to the dungeon that night without anyone noticing. We went up the main staircase on the way out but he didn't come down that way."

Shizuka frowned with determination. "Let's keep going," she said. "I want to catch up to him even more now." There were too many things that weren't adding up. Why was Pegasus being so nice to them? Why had he referred to Hafiz as his yami? Why was he showing them the secrets of Illusion Castle? Where was he taking them? Her curiosity was burning strong and the only way they were going to have those questions answered was if they followed Pegasus to the end of the line.

Mokuba heaved a sigh and dropped his foot, twisting to go the rest of the way up the stairs. On and on they climbed, until he knew for certain that they had to be in one of the castle's towers. The stairs finally came to an end after one last turn, revealing an open door, and on the other side of that door was Pegasus. He gave them an energetic smile, somehow not out of breath or the slightest bit sweaty in spite of the climb that they'd just endured, and spun around. "No need to worry, young ones. We're almost there," he said over his shoulder.

"How much further is almost there?" he asked wearily, leaning against the wall for a split second of rest. Another reason to be glad that they'd called back their monsters; he was no longer sure that he could have sustained Ryu-Ran in the real world when his muscles were feeling like jelly and he was having a hard time catching his breath.

Pegasus chuckled and turned back to face him. Again, there was that glint of gold behind the protective curtain of his hair. "You're worried," he said knowingly. "You fear that my yami is waiting for you at the end of our journey and that he will take you back down to the dungeons to play." His visible eye was surprisingly somber considering his light-hearted tone. "You don't believe that I can be trusted, and the only reason you're really here is because she wanted to follow and you didn't want her to come alone. Yet even though the thought of my yami terrifies you beyond comprehension, you're still willing to be here to protect her, no matter what the personal cost." He tilted his head, silver hair falling over his shoulder in a shower. "Interesting."

"Stop reading my mind, damn it!" Mokuba shook his head roughly, realizing that the slightly uneasy feeling crawling up his spine was residue from the invasion. The touch of the Millennium Eye left a scummy feeling in his head and made him want to take a scrub brush to his brain.

The man's smile only grew wider and he glanced at Shizuka. "And you... you're terribly curious about me, to the point where it's overcome any of your previous concerns about being in the castle. You're the real driving force behind your friend, aren't you? Your common sense goes away when you think that something isn't right. Right now, you're not frightened of me, you're fascinated. You think..." He blinked and took a step back, surprised. "You think I wouldn't hand you over to my – to Hafiz."

It didn't escape Shizuka's notice that he corrected himself at the last minute, which led her to believe that Pegasus had picked up on the other thought screaming through her mind: that she didn't believe for one second that Hafiz was really his yami. But she let it drop for the moment and merely nodded. "Yes, that's right. If you had wanted to hurt us you would have done it by now. Mokuba and I have nothing to protect us right now. We're all alone in the middle of your castle, in a passage that only you seem to know about." She raised an eyebrow. "You would have taken full advantage of that by now if you had planned to do so."

Pegasus just stared at her for a long moment, but this time there was no tell-tale glint of gold beneath his hair to indicate that he was trying to read her mind. At length, he spun and continued on down the hallway without saying a word. Mokuba and Shizuka exchanged looks before hurrying after him as he opened up a door and walked into a large room. There was a window on the far side and Pegasus moved straight over to it, while the two teens stopped in the doorway and looked around. Though the room was enormous, it seemed small because it was fairly cluttered. Furniture, clothing, ornaments, and various knick knacks had been piled on every available surface, and there was only a small path in the middle of the floor that had been left open. On the far side of the room was a large velvet curtain. The room itself smelled quite musty and Shizuka wondered how long it had been since someone had been up here.

"It's been some time," Pegasus said. He'd turned to look at her without their notice. "I don't come up here very often. My yami doesn't like it."

"What does that matter?" Shizuka reached out and picked up an adorable little figurine. It was a little girl with pale blue wings holding a bouquet of purple flowers. The girl had long blonde hair and big blue eyes to match her wings. She flipped it upside down and discovered a small crank on the bottom. "Do you do everything he says?"

"Sometimes," the man replied distantly, turning back to the window. Whatever he was looking at seemed to be fascinating, because he pried up the window and leaned out so far that Mokuba took an instinctive step forward in alarm. "He tells me that it's all for my own good, you know. He's trying to help me get her back and to do that we have to do things that aren't quite right."

"Get who back?" Mokuba asked carefully.

A soft sigh escaped Pegasus and he whirled away from the window, picking his way through the piles of junk on the floor until he'd reached the curtain. He grabbed the end and pulled, revealing the beautiful painting that had been hiding behind it. Shizuka gasped softly and set the figurine down before she took a few steps closer. It was the portrait of a beautiful young woman with cascades of long golden curls that fell around her face and shoulders. She had beautiful, vivid green eyes and a brilliant smile that seemed to light up the whole room. The painting cut off at her shoulders, giving only a hint about the warm forest green frock she was wearing. That, compared with the woven straw hat perched over her blonde ringlets, gave the portrait an old-fashioned look.

"She's beautiful," Shizuka breathed softly, mesmerized. There was something faintly familiar about the woman in the portrait, but she couldn't put her finger on what it was. "Who is she?"

"My Cecelia." Pegasus reached out and touched the portrait with a reverent finger, drawing his hand down the canvas slowly. "My wife."

"Your _wife_? You were married?" She blinked at him in shock and recognized the lingering pain in his eyes. "Oh... she died?"

"Yes." He nodded and sighed, taking a step back, though he didn't take his eyes off of the portrait. "But she's coming back. My yami promised. Once we get all of the Millennium Items... She'll come back."

Mokuba went still. "I'm not sure that's how it works."

"Yes it is! It is!" Pegasus snapped, seemingly upset for the first time since they'd met him in the kitchen. "That_ is_ how it works. He promised that I would get my Cecelia back!"

"I'm sure he did!" Shizuka said quickly, hoping that she could soothe him before he got too angry. "I'm sure he did, Pegasus, I - oh!" She gave a sharp exclamation as a door on the far side of the room, near the window, was pushed open, shoving piles of junk out the way in the process. Her jaw dropped as a young woman with long blonde hair stepped into the room. "Oh my god..."

Pegasus went pale. His eye grew wide. "Cecelia?"

* * *

Please review!


	39. Chapter 39

**A/N: **Yay for reviews! Much appreciated and all that. Witness during this chapter the major backpedalling of an author who was in the middle of writing a chapter and went, "Hang on, I'm missing two characters." This is what I get for working with an absurd amount of characters, honestly. I also hope you like the twist at the end… I've been building up to it for a long while. Enjoy!

/Yuugi's mental speech/  
\Yami's mental speech\

* * *

Bakura Osamu had been a handsome man in life. In death, he looked like a marble figurine that someone had painstakingly tried to carve life into. His face was icy white, dark hair falling across his cheeks in such disarray that Ryou itched to brush the strands back into place. The sheet was covering most of Osamu's body, hiding the damage, but there was an ugly, dark red splotch around the man's stomach that spoke of things that Ryou would not want to see anyway. He took a single step forward and the world threatened to fall apart around him. His legs felt like they were going to give out, but he kept moving, only barely conscious of the fact that Dark Magician and Yuugi were on either side, helping him to stay on his feet. Dark Blade backed away a step as they approached.

"Otou-san," Ryou whispered, falling to his knees beside the man. He reached out, intending to smooth Osamu's hair back, and felt his heart skip a beat when his fingers brushed against skin that was cold and stiff. Instantly he yanked his hand back with a sharp gasp.

"Ryou..." Yuugi knelt beside him, looking distressed. His eyes darted between Ryou and Osamu, taking note of the fact that Ryou's face had turned a shade of white to rival that of the dead man in front of them. /Yami! Hurry!/ he cried out mentally, struggling to push the words through their bond. It had grown noticeably stronger during their time in the Millennium Puzzle, allowing more complex ideas and very simple words to be sent through instead of just feelings, but it was still far from easy to actually communicate. He had no idea whether or not the words had gone through, but he prayed that Yami had been able to pick up on them.

"It's… it's my father," Ryou said dully. "I thought that he was dead, but I never imagined..."

"You did? I..." Trailing off, Yuugi licked his lips, at a complete loss as to what to say. It seemed like ages ago that Samira - Dark Witch - had been threatening Ryou's father. He was a little ashamed to say that he had mostly forgotten the incident in light of everything else that had been happening.

"He is dead. My father is _dead_." The words were a harsh, vacant rasp. Ryou's hands were starting to shake and his breathing was coming faster. Yuugi stared at him with wide eyes. Tentatively, he started to reach out, but Ryou flinched away his touch before it landed. "Don't. My father… Oh god… My father is dead and you can't change that. My father… He… He's…" His throat felt like it was closing up.

Strong hands landed on his shoulders. Ryou jumped, a strangled cry that was part fear and part anguish tumbling from his lips as he twisted around, only to see that somehow Bakura had come up behind him without his notice. The older boy had clearly been in a fight of some kind; he had a stunning black eye and bruising along his cheek and nose. His shirt had been torn across the bottom and his jeans were spattered with blood, though likely it wasn't his. More blood had been streaked through his hair. Ryou stared up at him, struggling to catch his breath, and had the bizarre thought pass through his mind that Bakura looked like a fallen angel of some kind.

"My father…" he mumbled, the only words he seemed to be capable of saying. His ears were roaring, so although he saw Bakura's lips moving, whatever his yami was saying had no impact whatsoever. Finally, Bakura reached out and forcefully pulled him around, then pushed his head down so that it was tucked between his knees, leaving his hand on Ryou's neck as a steady, comforting warmth.

Yuugi had noticed that Bakura and Yami were approaching, though he knew Ryou hadn't. Words couldn't describe the relief that shot through him when Bakura immediately walked over to Ryou and took charge. Seconds later, he felt Yami's presence behind him and turned, flinging his arms around Yami's waist and pressing his face into his stomach. Yami's hand came down on his head and smoothed back his hair in a comforting motion that helped as a gentle wave of soothing emotions came down their bond. He returned the favour, pushing back a stream of gratitude as the fear coiling in his chest loosened.

"Is that...?" Jou's voice sounded shocked and horrified all at once as he and Seto caught up to the small group. He took a step backwards. "Oh my god."

"It seems that Hafiz is playing even more of a twisted game then we realized," Seto muttered grimly. Footsteps passed by Yuugi and Yami, and Yuugi turned his head just enough to see that the taller boy had knelt down next to Osamu. He reached out and put a couple of fingers on Osamu's wrist, even though it was evident that the man was dead. "He's been dead for some time, I would guess. Probably never even knew what was coming."

A strangled whimper came from Ryou, and Bakura shot Seto a murderous glance. "Keep your comments to yourself, Priest," he hissed, gently kneading the back of Ryou's neck. After a few minutes, Ryou sat up, and though he looked a little better than before, his face was paler than his hair and his eyes were enormous.

"That _was_ my father, wasn't it?" he asked, sounding like he wasn't entirely there.

Bakura didn't hesitate. "Yes."

"And he's dead."

"Yes."

"Good to know." Ryou nodded and bent over again, putting his head back between his legs and taking slow, deep breaths in an effort to avoid throwing up all over the floor. Once the urge had passed, he reached out and hooked one of his arms around Bakura's thigh, ensuring the older boy couldn't step away without his notice. Surprise flickered over Bakura's face, but amazingly, instead of pulling away he actually slid closer, allowing Ryou to get a better grip.

"What is the meaning of this?" Yami broke the silence with the cold question as he looked straight at Dark Blade. There was a dark light in his crimson eyes and Yuugi shivered. Even though the reformation of their bond went a long way towards grounding them both, there was still something about Yami that felt... unsettled. Like Yuugi had put him back together, but the cracks were still there and still dangerous. He almost pitied Dark Blade at that moment.

"A delivery." Dark Blade spoke in a deep, baritone voice that lacked any emotion whatsoever. "From my master. Consider it both a warning and also a promise."

Yami tensed. "You can tell your master that if he wants to make a promise, he can come and see us in person instead of frightening children with dead bodies," he replied. Only someone who knew him well would be able to hear the barely controlled anger in his voice. Seto stiffened slightly and stood up, backing out of the way and bringing his lover with him. If Dark Magician and Dark Blade got into it, he did not want to be in between them.

Dark Blade didn't deign to answer, but he did draw the two swords that had nearly taken Ryou's life before. Immediately, Dark Magician moved forward, sliding in front of them with a protective stance. As the two of them launched forward and came to blows, Yami pulled Yuugi to his feet and pushed the younger boy back down the hall, away from the battling duel monsters. Seto and Jou were on their heels. Bakura grabbed Ryou around the waist, hefted the younger boy over his shoulder, and followed. Ryou resisted with a thin cry, his eyes locked onto Osamu's body as he was carried further away. He struggled against Bakura's hold, but Bakura was too strong.

"Let go of me, damn it! Otou-san!" he yelled, his fingers clawing at Bakura's hand. "Bakura, let go!"

"Keep going!" Bakura barked when Yuugi hesitated. "Do not turn around."

The sounds of fighting gradually faded behind them, but none of them stopped until they were a full two floors above. By the top of the second staircase, Ryou had stopped squirming, and his heart-wrenching sobs were the only sound breaking the silence. Bakura halted and carefully set him back down on the ground. His face remained stoic even though Ryou twisted away from him instantly and buried his face in his hands. Yuugi looked from his friend to Bakura and then sighed, realizing that the two of them needed a minute. He coaxed his darker half into following him a little way down the hall and was relieved to see that Jou and Seto had gotten the same idea.

"You had no right," Ryou whispered at last, his words coming out in breathless gasps.

"What, to save your life?" Bakura folded his arms. "Did you want me to leave you there? How long do you think it would have been before Dark Blade spotted you and killed you for real this time?" Something flickered in his eyes and he scowled. "Did you miss the part where I said that you belong to me, Rabbit?"

"That was my_ father_!" Ryou spun around, his honey brown eyes blazing as anger gave way to grief. He felt completely conflicted and he didn't know what to do about it. On the one hand, Osamu had been a poor parent to him, leaving for months at a time and barely communicating with him even when he was around. But on the other hand, he had been the only family that Ryou had had left. Friends, even a darker half, just weren't the same, and he couldn't help lashing out because of that.

"And he was _dead_, Ryou. You couldn't have done anything for him."

"That's not the point! He didn't deserve… that…" More tears were sliding down his face. Ryou looked down at his hands and mumbled, "It's… my fault. She was trying to get close to him because of the Millennium Ring. If it weren't for me, he would be… He would be…" He couldn't finish the sentence. The words caught in this throat and refused to go any further.

Bakura sighed and folded his arms. "It's not your fault. You're not the one who killed him, and he was the one who was foolish enough to fall for Dark Witch's charms."

Ryou just shook his head. A lump had formed in his throat, but he swallowed hard and forced the words out. "And if it hadn't been for me, she wouldn't have approached him in the first place."

For a few long moments, Bakura just stared at him without speaking, silently sizing Ryou up, as though deciding how much he thought he could get away with. The emotions coming down their bond were such a tangled mess that he couldn't have sorted through them if he had wanted to. Finally, he said slowly, "I fail to see why you're so upset. He chose her over you."

"What?" Ryou looked up at him, astonished. Out of all the things Bakura have said...

"It's the truth, isn't it?" There was wariness in Bakura's face. "You didn't like her but he allowed her to stay. I saw the look on your face when she was coming up the stairs. Her presence bothered you, and not just because your father got married without even bothering to tell you that it was going to happen beforehand." His lip curled, dark eyes flashing in disgust. "He abandoned you here, preferring instead to act like you didn't exist while he was gallivanting around the world. Why would you even want to care about the fate of someone who has treated you so poorly?"

"That's not the point, Bakura." Ryou closed his eyes briefly, a sudden, deep weariness rolling over him. Why did _he_ have to be stuck with the yami who didn't care about other people? He couldn't even explain why the death of his father was hitting him so hard. After all, it wasn't like he hadn't guessed weeks ago. Dark Witch hadn't exactly gone out of her way to cover it up, and from the moment that he'd found that note, he'd been 99% certain that he was an orphan. But suspecting was not the same as knowing and it never would be. "Imagine if it was Mai and something you had done, unintentionally or not, had led to her death. What would you do?"

Dark eyes widened slightly and Ryou realized a split second too late that Bakura was already familiar with that scenario. Because of her status as a guardian - technically Bakura's guardian - Mai had been captured by Pegasus and Hafiz and held against her will for over two years. Granted, she wasn't dead, but Bakura hadn't known that. He'd spent well days... weeks... months thinking the worst. Ryou winced, regret and shame welling up inside of him, and shook his head, half-turning and burying his face into his hands in an effort to block out the world. There was just too much happening at once and he didn't know how to assimilate it, didn't have the chance to sit down and absorb it all.

Shockingly, amazingly, he felt warm hands sliding across his shoulders and down the curve of his back, shortly before he was pressed against something strong and firm. He opened his eyes and found himself staring into Bakura's chest. Slowly, he turned his hands and buried his fingers into the familiar fabric, struggling against the urge to break down and cry. "He was my father," he whispered, his shoulders trembling. "He was all I had left. I… I'm alone now."

That was the worst of it as far as Ryou was concerned, the thing that he couldn't wrap his mind around. Because technically, Bakura was right. Osamu had changed after the death of Amane and Emiko, becoming a completely different person who acted quite coldly towards his remaining child. Sometimes it was like his father might as well have died along with his mother and sister for all of the support that he gave. But that didn't change the fact that the man had still been alive. He'd been someone that Ryou could depend on to at least care for him a little, even if it was only in the smallest or most materialistic of ways. He'd been alone before and only the thought of having someone out there had sustained him; the thought of being totally alone was enough to make him feel like he was drowning.

"You're not alone." Bakura's voice was gruff and just barely loud enough for Ryou to hear. "You have all of your annoying friends around you. I can feel them staring at us, wanting to make that you're alright." His voice dropped even further and Ryou had to strain to listen. "And besides, didn't you hear what I told you before? Since we're light and dark, there is a bond between us that can never be broken. The Millennium Ring is only making that stronger. You will always be with me whether you like it or not."

After a long moment, Ryou tilted his head back, staring up at his yami in amazement. "Did you mean that?" he asked shakily, unsure of how to feel about that. It almost sounded like a confession. "But... I don't want you to feel like you have to be with me, Bakura. I want you to _want_ to be with me." He paused and screwed his nose up. "That didn't sound right."

Bakura rolled his eyes and gave a heavy sigh. "Figures I'd get stuck with the insecure one," he muttered, tilting Ryou's face up. Though the comment was cruel, his hand on Ryou's cheek remained gentle, and so was the kiss that he leaned down to press against Ryou's partially parted lips. "It's occurred to me," he mumbled, their lips brushing with every word, "That being stuck with you is not the end of the world. Quite the opposite, Rabbit. If we're truly yami and hikari, than that means we_ have_ to be together. Anything else would weaken me too much."

"You say the sweetest things sometimes," Ryou mumbled, though there was a very tiny smile on his lips. He closed his eyes and sighed, content for just a moment to stay within the safe arms of his other half.

Several feet down the hall, Yuugi watched the two white-haired boys embrace and smiled to himself. He'd wondered about Bakura and Ryou, sometimes, but now he could see that his concern had been unnecessary. Bakura might have been all jagged harsh edges on the outside, but no one could deny that he was holding Ryou as delicately as though the younger boy was made from fragile, spun glass that could shatter at any moment. Sighing happily, he leaned further into a warm side and looked up at Jou as Yami's arm tightened around him absently. Onto the next pressing issue: his blond friend appeared to be completely involved in rubbing his side, but every once in a while he'd cast an odd look in Yuugi's direction.

"You okay, Jou?" he asked gently. There was no response, and it appeared that Jou didn't even notice that he'd spoken. Yuugi frowned and spoke louder. "Jou? Jou!"

"What?" Jou's head snapped around with a look of alarm. "Oh. I'm sorry. What did you say?"

"I asked if you were alright."

"I'm fine. I just... No, I'm fine." He shook his head, though in all honesty he didn't look fine. Yuugi regretfully slid out from underneath Yami's arm – he wasn't sure his darker half even noticed, considering how deeply into his conversation with Seto he was – and took Jou's arm, pulling him none too gently down the hallway. He stopped once they were out of earshot, but still close enough to be in easy reach of Yami and Seto if something went wrong.

"Alright, spill it. What's going on?" he asked, folding his arms. "And don't think I won't get Ryou, because I will."

Jou stared at him and his mouth twitched. "You really haven't changed, have you?" he asked after a long moment, losing the battle against fighting back a smile. "Gees, Yuugi."

"I'll never change," Yuugi said flippantly. It was a complete lie because he had already changed a lot. The person he had been a month ago had never known what it was like to be whole, had never know what it was like to have that be stripped away, to be left alone with nothing to hold onto but the faintest of hopes. He suppressed a shudder and unconsciously rubbed at the painful red ring around his wrist. "Jou, really, I want to know what's bothering you. Did something happen to you and Seto?"

"We had a run-in with Silent Magician and had our asses handed to us, but other than that, no." Jou paused and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He cast a glance over his shoulder at Seto, honey eyes scanning his lover silently and making sure that the older boy was distracted, before he looked at Yuugi. "Seto tried summoning Blue Eyes during the fight and he couldn't. Even when I tried to help him, it didn't make a difference. It was like someone had completely cut our connection to them. It was..." His voice trailed off and he worked hard to conceal the shiver that worked its way over his skin. "I didn't like it. After I summoned Red Eyes for the first time in the Shadow Realm, it was like our bond was stronger. I could almost sense what it was like for Seto and Blue Eyes White Dragon all the time." There was something sad in his eyes. "Having that taken away… I could almost understand what it must have been like for you."

"Jou..." Yuugi just looked at him, speechless.

"Don't," Jou said with a wave of his hand. "I get it." He shook his head. "Man, at one time, I was a little jealous of you guys and the connection you could have. I kind of wished that Seto and I could be like that, more than just soul mates, I mean. But having seen what that's like... it was as though a little part of me had been taken away and that was just my _partner_. I don't want to think about what you went through."

"Then don't," he advised softly. "Don't concern yourself with it, Jou. I appreciate you trying to understand what happened, but there's no need for you to do that. And especially not _now_." A half-hearted smile tugged at his lips. "Believe me, it's not a big deal."

"But Yuugi - " Jou began, and then stopped as surprise flashed across his face. A second later, a tanned arm was draped casually around Yuugi's shoulders. He tensed, prepared to bolt back to Yami, but relaxed when he realized that it was only Malik. Mariku was standing right behind him, holding onto…

"The Ring!" Ryou was suddenly there, his hands out-stretched. Mariku handed the Millennium Ring over to him without comment and watched as Ryou placed the item back around his neck where it belonged.

"Dare I ask how you got that back?" Yami asked wryly, approaching with Bakura and Seto in tow.

"We found it," Malik said innocently, one hand unconsciously resting on the Rod. "Well, okay, actually some servant was trying to sneak out of the castle with it. But she was very eager to give it up in the end." He drummed his fingers against the Rod and the faintest hint of a smirk slipped across his face.

"I think Mariku is being a bad influence on you," Ryou muttered. Malik just grinned.

"But what happened to Silent Magician?" Jou asked curiously. He couldn't remember much about what had happened after Seto and he had been unable to summon their partners, despite trying for a good five minutes straight. Silent Magician had invoked Silence Wave for a second time, and his fear about someone - especially a particular duel monster - coming up behind him had been realized. The blow to the back of his head had rendered him unconscious until a jolt of Seto's magic woke him up minutes later. Yami, Bakura and Seto had been standing over him, but there hadn't been any sign of Dark Magician, and before he'd gotten a chance to ask any questions, Yami and Bakura had taken off in a panic, leaving him and Seto to follow.

"He won't be a problem anymore," said Bakura. There was a glint of -_ something_ - in his eyes that made Jou distinctly uneasy, especially when he saw the same look replicated in Yami's face. Maybe it had been a good thing that he'd been knocked unconscious. He didn't relish the thought of seeing anyone, much less a duel monster, being torn apart.

"And Maiden of the Moonlight?" Seto asked.

"As soon as the Field Barrier is no longer in effect, she'll have a one way trip to the graveyard," Mariku promised. Malik shot him a small smile.

"A Field Barrier." The taller brunette scowled and one of his hands clenched into a loose fist. "I should have guessed."

"Mai, Anzu and Nee-san are working on it," Malik offered. "Mai thought it was likely that it had been set up in the North Tower. They went to go see what they could do about it."

"Then let's go," said Yami. "We'll join up with them there. It's not safe for us to be wandering around this castle by ourselves. One of us could be taken and the rest of us would never know." He took Yuugi's hands, curling his fingers protectively.

It was only as Yami was saying that, that something occurred to Yuugi. He looked up and around, blinking as he silently calculated who was with them. "Hang on. You said Anzu-chan, Mai-san and Isis-nee-san went up to the North Tower," he said slowly. "Where are Shizuka-chan and Mokuba-kun?"

"They were supposed to be outside," Jou replied. His tone of voice made it clear that he didn't think that was the case.

Yuugi nodded, worry flashing over his face. "And what about Honda-kun and Otogi-kun?"

There was a long pause during which everyone exchanged blank looks.

"Uh-oh."

**GMA**

Honda and Otogi had entered the castle with Seto, Jou, Bakura, Mariku, Anzu and Harpy Lady. It had been their intention to stay with the others because, after all, Otogi knew from experience that Pegasus could be one screwed up man when he wanted to be, and he had no doubts about the dangers that Illusion Castle could – and likely would, given the right opportunity – present. But as he trailed along behind the others, a flickering of dull purple light caught his eye, and he turned his head just in time to see the edge of a deep blue cloak as someone whirled around and disappeared down a long passage. His first instinct was to ignore what he'd seen and keep walking, but his body wasn't listening to what his guy was saying; almost mechanically, he turned in the direction of the passage.

It was dark, darker than he was truly comfortable with because he couldn't see much, but at the very end of the corridor he could just make out that purple light. Otogi blinked and licked his lips, eyes locked onto the sight; there was just something about it that was very attractive, like it was calling to him. He absently wound the tip of his ponytail around his index finger as he contemplated stepping into the passage and wondered whether this was something that Honda would later scold him for. Likely, but sometimes that was a necessary evil. He took a single step forward, just far enough so that the tips of his boots were inside the edge of the shadow, and paused.

A hand came from behind him and wrapped around the base of his ponytail, tugging with just enough force to hurt. Otogi jumped, torn from his daze, and spun around to see that his lover standing so close that their chests brushed when he moved. One look at Honda's face told him that the taller man was not pleased with his actions and he smiled sheepishly, not daring to try and pull free. The last time Honda had grabbed his hair and refused to let go, it had resulted in a few strands being torn free when Otogi forcibly jerked away from him. Now he knew better methods.

"Hiroto," he said in his best soft but throaty purr, deliberately rolling the 'r'.

"Where do you think you're going?" Honda asked, though the sound of his name spoken in _that_ tone had caused his face to soften slightly. "What are you doing, separating from the others?"

"I could see something down there," Otogi replied, tilting his head slightly to indicate the corridor behind them. Honda glanced over his head, his deep brown eyes searching the passage. The faint frown on his lips indicated that he couldn't see what Otogi had, so Otogi elaborated. "It's a purple light that keeps flashing on and off. I just wondered what it was for, that's all. I wasn't really going to go."

"Really," Honda said with a raised eyebrow. "Then please explain why you've been standing here staring for at least ten minutes? It was ages before I noticed and doubled back. I only just managed to find my way back here."

Otogi blinked up at him. "Ten minutes? Really?" he repeated doubtfully. It certainly hadn't_ felt _that long. If anything, he could have sworn that he'd only been standing there for a few seconds. He turned, gazing back down the corridor, and instantly spotted the purple light again. The flickering was_ so_ attractive, like a little firework going off in the middle of the darkness, and it called to him. Breathing out slowly, he tried to step forward.

"Ryuuji!" Pain shot across the back of his scalp when Honda's hand tightened and a strangled squeak escaped him as he was jolted to a forced stop. Honda dragged him backwards and wrapped an arm around his waist, preventing him from going any further. "What is the matter with you?"

"Can't you see it?" Otogi asked, dropping his hands to rest lightly on Honda's arm. His hands squeezed convulsively and he leaned forward eagerly. "It's there, I'm telling you. Let go. I just want to see what it is."

"No, I'm not letting go! We're leaving, come on." Honda lifted him off of his feet and turned, intending to catch up to the others. He winced as Otogi began to struggle, landing a few punches to the parts of Honda's body that he could reach, but refused to let go. They'd only gone a handful of feet when he felt a painful sting on the right side of his neck. Instantly, the world went hazy and dim, and Otogi jerked free of his grasp, spinning away as Honda slumped to his knees.

Otogi should have been concerned about his lover. Logically, he knew that, and on a distant level, it was impossible not to be as Honda crumpled into a heap on the floor. But it was as though those emotions were a hundred miles away as he faced an enormous butterfly with wings that were burning a deep shade of violet. He reached out a hand and felt a hard pinch on the palm of his hand. His legs went out from underneath him and he fell, landing hard on the ground, emerald eyes lingering on the purple flames until he could no longer keep them open and he succumbed to unconsciousness.

**GMA**

The room wasn't really much to look at. Anzu pushed the door open a little more as Mai walked further into the room, keeping all attention on her. Pegasus in particular seemed to be riveted by her appearance, though his face fell when Mai got close enough for him to begin to pin-point the subtle differences between her and the girl in the portrait. Still, Anzu couldn't help but notice that there were some key similarities, and she wondered over that as she and Isis stepped into the room. Isis put a finger to her mouth and gestured, prompting a silent nod from Anzu; while Mai distracted Pegasus, the two of them would do a search for the Field Barrier card. She started shifting through the piles of junk, all while keeping an eye on the situation. Pegasus's voice made her jump.

"You're not Cecelia," he hissed, staring at Mai and clenching his fists. When she'd walked into the room, his heart had leapt for joy, and the anticipation of seeing those beautiful emerald eyes, filled with warmth and life, staring back at him had flooded through him. His hopes were dashed when he saw that the girl standing before him had violet eyes. She was beautiful, yes, and at one point she would have likely appealed to his personal tastes, but she was nothing compared to Cecelia. Roughly, he dashed tears from his eye and spat, "Who are you?"

"You know who I am," said Mai sadly, clasping her hands in front of her. It was a movement that made her look much younger than a woman in her early twenties and Pegasus hesitated, suddenly unsure, as the faintest of memories stirred in his mind. Seeing this, Mai gave him a wistful smile. "I knew you would recognize me eventually. That's why I've stayed here for so long, waiting."

"But... I don't." There was confusion now, replacing the rage that drained away as quickly as though it had never existed in the first place. Pegasus cocked his head to the side and looked at her more closely. Something about the way she stood, the way she moved, the way her hair fell around her shoulders, it all tugged at him and he shook his head, frustrated. "Who _are _you?"

"My name is Kujaku Mai," Mai said, her voice remaining soft and gentle, so gentle. She looked up at him and her lips parted to change his whole world. "I'm Cecelia's younger sister."

* * *

Please review!

**Note:** Camp NaNo starts on June 1st and I have no idea what to write, but it could be a YGO fanfic if I can think of a plot. If you have a prompt you want to see me tackle, now's your chance to throw it at me.


	40. Chapter 40

**A/N:** Thanks for the reviews. I'm glad everyone liked the twist I threw in at the end of the last chapter. I can't believe how long this story has gotten! When I first started it, I can honestly say I never expected for it to reach 40 chapters. You can't begin to understand how that boggles my mind. We've come a long way... Enjoy!

* * *

It was the numb, distant pain in his wrists and arms that finally woke him up. Otogi blinked once and winced as harsh light stung his eyes. He tilted his head forward so that his bangs would fall over his eyes as a curtain, and only then did he begin to assess the situation. His hands had lost all feeling and his shoulders were a mess of steady, throbbing cramps that felt like someone had pressed needles into his muscles and left them there. Feet, legs, thighs, and bottom all tingled with the not-quite-painful feeling of being in one position too long, and his back - well, suffice to say the pain in his shoulders traveled fast, and when he tried to straighten up from his slouched position without thinking, he froze and couldn't contain the groan that escaped him.

"Fuck," he hissed, keeping perfectly still until the blazing pain had ebbed. Carefully, he raised his head a fraction, until he could see that he was in a cell of some kind, lit only by a single torch that didn't give off that much light. He was sitting on the ground with his hands cuffed above his head, preventing him from doing anything except sitting. There wasn't even enough extra leverage for him to stand, crouch or lie down, and forget taking the pressure off of his poor arms. No wonder his back hurt so much.

How had he gotten here? His mind felt hazy and sluggish and it was hard to think. For a few long minutes, he honestly couldn't remember anything. But then slowly, the memories started coming back to him: getting to Illusion Island, the subsequent attacks that had separated their group, being attacked, and then storming the Castle - sort of. He remembered entering the castle but after that everything became a blur. He sighed and leaned his head back against the wall, staring up at the ceiling. Something niggled faintly at the back of his mind, something he thought he might have forgotten. But what?

A door creaked in the distance. Otogi's heart skipped a beat and he quickly dropped his head back down to his chest, pretending to be unconscious, as the door to his cell was shifted open. Footsteps entered the room and he kept himself from tensing, even though he knew that whoever had come in was looking at him. Was it Pegasus? Or, gods forbid, Hafiz? He'd never told anyone, but Otogi had had a run-in with the man before. The last time he had come to Illusion Castle, Hafiz hadn't liked the way their business meetings had been going, and he'd made that perfectly clear when he trapped Otogi in the bathroom. Otogi had played it off at the time, kept his cool and managed to walk away with no one the wiser when someone else walked in on them before the situation could escalate, but the memory of it was still enough to make his skin crawl. A hand reached out and touched his shoulder, and half-caught in that memory, he recoiled with a frightened squeak.

His eyes sprang open and he found himself looking up at Honda, Yami, and Seto. The three of them were staring down at him with matching peculiar expressions that would have been funny had it not been for the situation at hand. Otogi blinked and then glanced past them, searching the small cell almost wildly for Hafiz. Scattered memories were drifting across the forefront of his mind after his scare, of shadow magic and hands coming from the darkness to touch him, all combined with soft mocking laughter and whispered taunts about the fates of his friends and lover. His stomach twisted violently and it took every last bit of his composure to not throw up on the spot. Those were memories he would have rather remained forgotten.

"What took you guys so long?" he asked with an air of forced casualness. "I've been bored out of my mind waiting for you."

Honda's brow furrowed and something dark flashed into his eyes. "You alright?" he inquired tersely.

"Yes, I'm fine." It _was_ relatively true. His body was one solid mass of aches, but no hands had gone beneath his clothing and all things considered, he knew he'd gotten off lightly. No one had really _done_ anything that he could remember – he refused to consider the fact that something might have happened that he couldn't. "But it would be nice if one of you could unlock my shackles. My hands have gone completely numb."

"Bakura!" Yami called, not taking his eyes off of Otogi.

The white-haired boy swept into the cell holding two long, slender pins in his hands. Without so much as a glance in Otogi's direction, he knelt and began working on the shackles. Otogi leaned his head back against the wall and took a couple of slow, deep breaths. Now he understood why he'd felt like he had forgotten something and he wished it had stayed that way. It would have been much easier to have never remembered the brief visits Hafiz had 'graciously' bestowed on him. Not once had the man ever actually done anything, but every so-called innocent touch had been filled with such horrifying promise that Otogi had almost been relieved to let the drugs take him again. He couldn't repress a shudder and felt Bakura pause. He opened one eye.

"You didn't hurt me. Keep going," he said, guessing that was the reason Bakura had stopped. Bakura's frown grew deeper but he kept working, skilfully sliding the pins against each other, working on the tumbles until there was a faint clicking sound and they swung open. He grabbed Otogi's arms before they could fall to the boy's sides and held them in the air.

"You'll do damage to yourself if you just let go," he muttered. "Seto."

Seto leaned down to examine the muscles and Otogi flinched. It was instinctive, borne from one time too many of being dragged out of his sleep to find Hafiz hovering over him, and yet it was enough to make the tall brunet freeze momentarily. "You'll be fine," he said finally, backing off a little. "Just lower your hands slowly to let the blood flow re-enter them. Here." Gently, he reached out and took Otogi's hands from Bakura. Over the course of the next five or six minutes, he lowered them gradually. Otogi gritted his teeth as the numbness turned into a tingly feeling before moving into full, painful burning.

"Do you remember anything?" Yami asked him.

"Not really," Otogi said, wincing. His arms felt curiously heavy, like they were lumps of dough attached to his body, but he was determined to walk out under his own power. He allowed Honda to pull him to his feet but wavered as the cell suddenly swam in front of him, threatening to send him to the floor. Honda grabbed him around the waist just in time.

"Ryuuji!" he exclaimed. "You – "

"I'm_ fine_." It only took him a second to get his legs underneath his body. He straightened and took a quick step away from Honda – perhaps too quick, he thought, mentally noting the hurt look on Honda's face – before offering him a tentative smile. "It's fine, really. I'm pretty sure they kept me drugged most of the time and it's probably just taking a few minutes to work its way out of my system." Without giving anyone a chance to respond, he turned and began staggering towards the door. Every second in the cell seemed to last an eternity and he was desperate to get out before Hafiz came back.

Yuugi, Ryou, Malik, Jou and Dark Magician were all waiting outside of the cell, clustered into a little group against the chill in the air that Otogi was only just noticing. They all turned to look at him when he appeared. It was good to see people, good to be standing, good to be out of that blasted cell. He rubbed his wrists absently, massaging the badly chafed skin, as Yami, Bakura, Honda and Seto followed him out into the corridor. They were in a long passageway with cells on either side. Otogi's had been the very last one, hidden deep in the corner of the dungeon, away from prying eyes and – the urge to throw up came over him again – away from anyone who could have heard him scream.

Somehow, though, he'd been granted a reprieve. Hafiz had been too distracted to pay much attention to him. Otogi closed his eyes briefly and took a deep breath. It felt like had been trapped down here for days, even though it had probably only been less than one or two. Feeling eyes on him, he looked up to see that everyone was watching him. The skin on the back of his neck prickled and he felt trapped. It took considerably more effort to force another smile. "What are we waiting for? No one else is down here, right?"

"No." Yuugi was looking at him intently. "Are you okay, Otogi-kun?"

"I'm _fine_." The second time he'd spoken those words in less than five minutes, and neither had been entirely true. He could feel a headache building at his temples and he itched for a long, hot bath. "Let's just go, okay?"

"Go? Why would you want to do that?"

Otogi stiffened, breath catching in his throat, as the voice floated out of the cell across from where he had been trapped. Malik went pale and whimpered, shrinking back against the wall, as Mariku stepped forward, eyes narrowing. The only response was laughter as Hafiz appeared out of the shadows wearing a broad, mocking smile. The edges of his body were blurred, like he was merging with the darkness around him, and he was holding a flat gold disc in his hands. It was glowing with a faint, dark light that barely pierced the shadows, and when he flipped it over, the symbol of Ra could be seen on the bottom.

"Weren't we having fun?" he asked, looking at Otogi. His blue-green eyes were filled with something that made Otogi take an unconscious step backwards. "You make the prettiest little sounds when you're frightened, just like my son and daughter. We could have some more fun, you and I. I'll even let you reciprocate this time."

Some part of Otogi wanted to challenge Hafiz, to make it sound like it wasn't at all the way he was inferring, but the words got lost on the way from his brain to his vocal chords and never emerged. A strangled sound escaped instead and Hafiz laughed, clapping his hands. "That's the one!"

"Hafiz..." Yami's voice was practically a hiss, he was so furious. "How _dare _you show your face after what you've done?"

"Such regal words, my pharaoh," Hafiz said, finally taking his attention off of Otogi. His lips curled into a sneer. "You forget that this is _my_ castle and I have invited you here. What kind of host would I be if I proceeded to ignore you after you've taken the time to come visit?"

"You kidnapped my hikari and trapped me inside of the Puzzle. That's hardly what I would call an invitation," Yami replied. It was taking everything he had to refrain from commanding Dark Magician to beat Hafiz senseless. He wanted desperately to attack, but at the same time, the part of his mind that hadn't been taken over by pure rage was stopping him. There had to be a reason that Hafiz had come to them and not waited for them to find him. The man was planning something, but what?

Hafiz shrugged. "Maybe not in your circles," he purred, losing interest in Yami and glancing instead at his son and Yuugi and Ryou. "Ah, yes, you did bring the lights along, didn't you? They're so pretty when they cry out in pain, you know. It's fascinating, really. Most people in this world are a perfect blend of light and dark, even soul mates." He spoke the words with a certain amount of derision and Seto stiffened, moving protectively in front of Jou. "Never before has there ever been a time when one soul was so perfectly split down the middle. Some people would call it an abomination... But all of that light..." Raw hunger blazed into his eyes. Otogi's back hit the bars and he realized he couldn't back away any further. "Makes me want to taint it."

Yami snapped. "Dark Magician, attack!"

Two things happened at once. Dark Magician responded to the command instantly and leapt forward, staff lifted above his head. Hafiz merely laughed and held up his little gold disk. As the world around them exploded in grey-purple smoke, Otogi dove instinctively towards the three lights and pushed them backwards into the cell. The four of them landed in a heap on the floor and he forced them to stay down as he twisted his head to see what was going on. Smoke was floating into the cell and beyond that, he could hear the sounds of fighting. Dark Magician's voice rose above everything, calling out attacks, and someone – it sounded like Bakura or Mariku – was swearing loudly.

"They're so predictable."

He swallowed a yelp and reared backwards, arm flying out protectively in front of Yuugi, Ryou, and Malik. "What do you want?" Otogi demanded, staring at Hafiz. The man was crouched in a corner of the cell, hands still wrapped around that damnable flat gold disc, only the symbol on the bottom was now glowing an ugly red color.

"The world," Hafiz said simply. "I was denied it at one time, you know. Foolish on their part. I would have been perfectly satisfied with being able to rule Egypt." His expression twisted and he let out a low growl. "It was my right. But then my brother had the nerve to go and get himself an heir, and I knew that my chances of being the Pharaoh were numbered unless I figured out a way to get rid of both of them. Unfortunately, I was ill-prepared for battle, and as it turned out, I made my move too early and the little brat was able to defeat me. And upon his death, he appointed another as the Pharaoh. This time around, however, things will be different. Yes... quite different..."

Otogi knew what was coming before it happened. Desperately, he threw his hands up and tried to summon his partner, but nothing happened. He watched with wide eyes as Hafiz chuckled and held up the gold disc. "Everyone down!" he cried, ducking his shoulders.

White light blazed above his head in the direction of Hafiz, nearly throwing the man off of his feet. Startled, he glanced around and realized that it had come from Malik. The younger boy was on his feet, though he was swaying slightly, and his hands were outstretched. His lavender eyes were curiously blank. "I won't let you do this," he said emotionlessly, watching his father stagger and fall to one knee. "I should have let Mariku kill you that day. All of us would be better off if you were dead!"

"Sentimentality is for the weak," Hafiz panted, one hand cupping his chest protectively. "_You_ are weak and your friends will suffer the consequences."

"Is that a threat or a promise?" Malik asked with a cruel smile. His hands were shaking slightly but he stood firm, refusing to allow Hafiz to intimidate him. Though he was terrified of the man, it had never stopped him from protecting Isis, and it wouldn't stop him from protecting his friends. You're insane. You will _never_ rule the world. Even if we don't stop you, someone else will."

"Once I have the Millennium Items, I will be unstoppable," Hafiz said gleefully, eyes locking onto the Millennium Rod. "I haven't got that many more to collect. The Puzzle… the Rod… the Ring… the Tawk… Once those four items are in my possession I will have them all. And as it so happens, the four owners were foolish enough to accept my invitation and are inside my castle right now."

Yuugi stirred and lifted his head in spite of Otogi's best efforts to keep the boy down. "What did you do to Shadi?" he demanded.

"Shadi… I assume you're referring to the man who owned the Millennium Scale and the Millennium Key. I'm afraid that he was in my way and I've disposed of him. Him and that other little pest. What was his name?" Hafiz's smirk grew broader and he looked straight at Malik as he gave a taunting wave of his hand. "Ah yes, I believe his name was Rishid."

The light went out of Malik's eyes and his hands dropped to his sides, stricken by the notion that his father might have killed his yami's older brother. Hafiz took his chance and lunged forward, one hand outstretched to grab the Millennium Rod. Otogi shot to his feet and blocked him, shoving Malik backwards. He shot a desperate glance towards the corridor, wondering what was occupying the others, but he couldn't see anything in the darkness. A hand curled around his collar during his distraction and he squeaked as Hafiz dragged him off of his feet. Helplessly, he grabbed at the fingers and tried to pull them free as he struggled to draw air into his lungs. The fabric had twisted around his throat and was preventing him from breathing. Spots bloomed in front of his eyes and his frantic kicks subsided, arms falling away weakly...

"Get away from him!" Ryou kicked Hafiz in the side as hard as he could. At the same time, Yuugi wrapped his arms around Otogi's waist and wrenched him backwards. Hafiz's grip slipped away and Otogi gasped for breath as he collapsed to his knees, one hand protectively cupping his neck. He looked up through bleary eyes to see that Yuugi and Ryou had taken up a protective stance in front of him and Malik.

"So cute. The little lights have come out to play." Hafiz drew himself up and smirked. "If you really want to have some fun, why don't you follow me?" He removed two familiar objects from inside of his robes - the Millennium Key and Scales - and dangled them from either hand. "I take it you want these back... well, if you want them, you're going to have to come get them." The flat gold disc flared with light.

"You bastard!" Otogi shouted, but Hafiz was already disappearing.

"I'll be waiting!" the man called out, laughing as he faded away. Ryou ran to the spot where he had been standing, but Hafiz was gone, and there was nothing left to indicate that he had ever been there.

"Kura-chan," Ryou whispered, fear flashing into his face. He turned and rushed over to the entrance of the cell, but before he could go very far, he stumbled over something soft. His knees struck the ground and he let out a pained yelp.

"Ryou, be careful," Yuugi admonished him, following Ryou more slowly as the dim lights came back on, revealing that Ryou had tripped over the unconscious form of Seto. All of their friends had been knocked unconscious and he suspected that if it hadn't been for Otogi's quick thinking in pushing them into the cell out of reach of the smoke, they would have suffered the same fate - and then the Millennium Items would have been easy pickings. He shuddered at the thought and knelt beside Yami. /Yami, wake up./

It took a few mental prods for the older boy to awaken. His crimson eyes were dazed when he finally opened them. \Aibou?\ he asked groggily. The single thought was sent along with a warm rush of belonging and affection that made Yuugi's cheeks turn pink as he reached out to place a hand on Yami's forehead.

"Hafiz attacked us," he said quietly.

Yami was instantly alert. He sat up and looked around as the others began to stir. "What happened? Are you alright?"

"Thanks to Otogi-kun, yes," Yuugi said. "But Yami... Shadi and Rishid..." He looked up at his partner anxiously. Yami studied his face and seemed to know what was coming.

Mariku looked up, rubbing his head. "What about my brother?"

Yuugi hesitated. "He's... well..."

"He's dead," Malik said bluntly. "Rishid and Shadi are dead."

**GMA**

There was a long, heavy silence during which no one spoke. Shizuka's mouth dropped open and she stared blankly from Mai to Pegasus for several seconds before she twisted and looked at the others, who seemed to be as shocked as she felt. Turning back, she glanced at Mai and said, "I'm sorry, you're _who_?"

"Cecelia's little sister," Mai repeated patiently, never taking her eyes off of Pegasus. "I know you haven't met me before. You've probably never even heard of me before." She smiled grimly. "The truth is, when my mother left, she took Nee-chan... Cecelia... with her and left me with my dad and our cousin. She said that I was too much like my father, and she didn't approve of their… our life. I was only able to speak to Cecelia once in a while after that, usually when our parents weren't around to try and keep us away from each other. Nee-chan told me all about you. She really loved you." Finally, she glanced away from him, but it was only to look up at the portrait on the wall. Her eyes were misty with tears. "I knew who you were as soon as you kidnapped me."

"I didn't..." Pegasus looked bewildered. "Cecelia never told me she had a sister."

"No, she wouldn't have. She tried to distance herself from our family after she had a falling out with our mother, including me," Mai explained regretfully. She took a step closer to him, seemingly unperturbed that he backed away when she did. "Then we heard she had died, and I didn't want to make it seem like I was after your money or something like that." She took a deep breath. "And... I didn't want to tell you before because I was worried that Hafiz wouldn't take it well."

At the mention of the other man, Pegasus scowled and seemed to come to a decision. "I don't believe you," he declared. With a quick jerk of his wrist, the curtains slid closed over Cecelia's portrait. "Cecelia would have told me if she'd had any siblings. We shared everything. I think you're just trying to trick me. None of you should be here." His eyes swept over the assembled group and for the first time, anger entered his voice. "Get out! Get out or I'll summon my partner, and then you'll be in a lot of trouble."

Mai winced. "Please don't," she said urgently. "Listen to me. It's the truth, I swear. I can tell you all sorts of things about Cecelia that no one else would know. Like the fact that she had one eye that was a paler shade of green than the other, and she used to wear coloured contacts to compensate because it embarrassed her. And... and every morning when she would wake up, she'd have an apple for breakfast before anything else. Her favourite color was pink but she told everyone that it was green because it was the color that looked best on her." Her voice softened with pain. "I know that she was dying of a disease that would have caused her to waste away until there was nothing left. It's the same thing that killed our grandmother and Cecelia was so frightened that she would die of it, too. I know that she didn't want that and she took steps to end it before that happened."

Pegasus ducked his head. His breath came in short, sharp pants. "You're lying. You're_ lying_," he repeated. "This is all some sort of trick."

"No, it's not!" Shizuka said, surprising all of them. She had finally figured out why the portrait had looked a little familiar to her. Though she had never seen or met Mai before – the woman had gone missing long before Shizuka and Mokuba had become guardians – she had spent a fair amount of time around Bakura whenever she stayed at Seto's house with Jou. The woman in the portrait had some facial features that were similar to Bakura as well as Mai, including a smile that had a tendency towards mischief. Even with the curtain closed, she could still see Cecelia in her mind's eye, and she knew that Mai was telling the truth. "Mai and Cecelia look so much alike that they have to be related. It's the only explanation."

"Thank you," Mai muttered to her. Raising her voice, she faced Pegasus squarely and said, "Ever since you first kidnapped me, I haven't tried to escape, even though I wanted to. I've stayed here for a couple of reasons, neither of which directly benefitted me. One, I stayed to make sure that neither you nor Hafiz had plans to attack my cousin. Bakura is like my little brother and I would do anything to keep him safe. But the second reason was because I know how much Nee-chan loved you. I know what Hafiz is doing to you, and I know she would have wanted me to stop it."

"My yami?" Pegasus was staring at her, eyes narrowed. "What do you mean, what he's _doing_ to me? He hasn't done anything."

"Don't tell me you haven't noticed that something is wrong, Pegasus. You're smarter than all this." Mai waved a hand to indicate the piles of junk that were making the room a hazard. "Do you think that my sister would have wanted this? Do you think she would have wanted you to mourn her for years on end, and try to find some way to bring her back to life? No. She loved you and she would have wanted you to be happy, even if it meant finding some way to move on. When I think about the time I've spent here with you, trapped in this damn castle with a psychopath... time I could have spent doing other things that were more important..." Her violet eyes were sparkling with angry tears. "And all because you won't open your eyes and see what's right in front of you!"

Pegasus was shaking his head in denial. "No, you're not - "

"I am!" Mai yelled, losing her temper. "Hafiz is lying to you! He's not your yami and he never will be! You don't have one!"

"Is… is that true?" Anzu asked, turning to look at Isis.

"Possibly," Isis said with a grimace, folding her arms. "I had thought it highly suspicious that Hafiz would have a lighter half, but I was waiting to see them interact before I said anything. The Pharaoh, the Tomb Robber and the Assassin were all unable to use their Millennium Items. The darkness of the Shadow Realm would have taken them over because they had no light to tie them to this world. But the High Priest Akhenaden had no such problems. He freely used the Millennium Eye during the war he waged on the pharaoh. Though he certainly had more darkness in him than light, he was not a yami, and his reincarnation shouldn't be either."

"Shouldn't be doesn't mean he isn't," Mokuba pointed out, putting a hand on Shizuka's shoulder.

"No, it doesn't. This is a strange puzzle. Pegasus shouldn't be able to use the Millennium Eye if he is not a part of Akhenaden's soul." Isis rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "I'm not sure I understand how this came to be, but I _do_ know that he is not a hikari. Pegasus, Hafiz has been lying to you. He is not your yami."

"Lies!" The distraught man yelled, backing up until he was huddled against the curtains. He placed his hands over his face, shoulders trembling, and his voice was quivering when he spoke. "He said that you would do this, that you would try to twist my mind and turn me against him."

"We're not lying!" said Mai. "We're all telling you the truth. He never intended to bring Cecelia back, Pegasus. Don't you think that I would be right there fighting with you if I thought there was any way to bring my sister back to life? I would be _with_ him, not against him. But the Millennium Items don't work that way. They grant power, yes, but not even they have the ability to bring someone to life again." She shook her head, a pained smile on her lips. "And even if it did, Hafiz wouldn't care enough about you to bother!"

"Shut up!" Pegasus roared, his head snapping up. "You don't understand anything. How dare you come here and spread such lies!" His silvery hair was blown back, revealing the glowing Millennium Eye. "I want you _stop talking_!"

Mai screamed, but the sound cut off abruptly as she crumbled to the floor.

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Please review!


	41. Chapter 41

**A/N:** Thanks for the reviews! I've been thinking about the future of this story lately. A couple of people have asked what will happen after Illusion Island. I did have an idea for a sequel but I'm not wholly sure about it yet. I do think that there is definitely further to go when it comes to the boys and their relationships, but we'll have to see how it goes. Still, I am thinking about it. Now, enjoy!

**Note:** Camp NaNo (you write 50,000 words in one month on a new original story, basically) begins today. I will do my best to keep my updates coming regularly, but six stories plus camp is insane, even for me. You're going to have to bear with me during June.

* * *

In the resulting confusion, as everyone clustered around to see if she was alright, Pegasus took the opportunity to make a run for it. The passages that he had shown to Mokuba and Shizuka were not the only secrets that Illusion Castle was hiding. He grabbed the edge of the curtain hiding Cecelia's portrait and concealed his body behind them, gazing up at the painting with reverent eyes. It had been commissioned shortly before their wedding, just mere months before the disease that had threatened to take Cecelia's life had been diagnosed, and it was one of the few mementos he had of his wife where she didn't look ill.

"My love…" he whispered, taking a moment to stroke the canvas gently before closing his eyes and sighing. A quick scan of the minds in the room behind him told him that his disappearance had not yet been noted. He reached for the edge of the frame, digging his nails into the back, and lifted, revealing a tunnel. It was an escape route that not even his yami knew about. Cecelia herself had designed and implemented it as a safety measure after she had decided to make the north tower a nursery; the portrait, of course, had come later.

Pegasus slipped into the tunnel and carefully eased the portrait back into place. It formed a seamless meld against the mouth of the tunnel, and he knew from experience that no one would notice it unless they knew exactly where it was already. Hidden as he was, he felt for a moment that Cecelia herself was beside him, helping him to escape the cruel words that were trying to tear his world apart. He realized he was panting from anger and took a deep, nearly silent breath, listening closely as the children on the other side talked amongst themselves without even noticing he was gone. A satisfied smirk formed on his face and he almost wished he could open the portrait and mock them for their foolishness. Of course, he couldn't, but he did stick his tongue out.

"Amateurs," he mumbled, spinning on his heel. He left them behind, traversing the tunnel with a familiar, experienced gait. How many times had he and Cecelia played in the dark, their voices bounding off the rounded walls, laughter lighting the shadows in a way that nothing else could? Even now, the echo of their happiness seemed to surround him, lifting his soul. "I won't give up, my love. I will find a way to return you no matter what it takes. I promise you that."

The tunnel gradually took him down, deeper than any of the servants would have gone, far below the ground floor and the sea and into the very depths of Illusion Island. His legs were burning by the time he finally stopped, but he paid no attention to the minor, unimportant demands of his body. Pegasus placed a hand on his chest and pulled a golden locket out from underneath his red suit. It was in the shape of a heart. He lovingly caressed the outside before fitting it neatly into a heart-shaped mark in the stone door: it was a perfect fit. Slowly, the door creaked open, revealing a room shrouded in shadows. Standing in the middle of it was his yami.

"Hello, my light," Hafiz purred.

Just hearing those words caused a massive amount of tension to uncoil from his body. Pegasus smiled with relief and strode forward. As soon as he was a few feet away, he dropped to his knees and crawled the rest of the distance, gratefully winding his arms around the man's waist. "They told me that you wouldn't follow through on your promise," he said, voice muffled. "They said you were lying to me."

Hafiz sighed. "I warned you. They believe I am a bad person. But _they_ are the ones keeping the power of the Millennium Items away from you, hikari. If they weren't being so possessive, you would already have Cecelia back."

His grip tightened at that. Cecelia. She had been the light of his life, the one thing that had made his existence worthwhile. Before her, he had never understood why he was even alive. He didn't know why he had been born, what his purpose was, or why he should bother to try and find out. But then Cecelia had come into his life and an accidental meeting had changed him forever. The second he saw her beautiful smile he had been smitten, and he'd known that he never wanted to spend another day without her. It seemed like the gods themselves were mocking him when she was taken just a paltry few years after they had met.

"I want her back," he said. "I want her back and I don't care what it takes."

A vague feeling of unease permeated him as he spoke. He'd tried to move on after Cecelia had died, knowing that she would have wanted him to be happy, but he just couldn't. Then he'd found the Millennium Eye and his yami, and after that, things had begun falling into place. His path in life had been certain again and he had not floundered. Until now. For the first time, he couldn't stop himself from wondering if he was doing the right thing. The passionate words of that girl stuck with him, sliding into his mind like slippery black oil. He didn't believe her, and yet something about the fervent look in her eyes rang undeniably true.

"I know you do," Hafiz was saying. One hand reached down and tangled into Pegasus's silvery hair, sliding through the long strands. Pegasus repressed a shudder. It wasn't the first time that Hafiz had tried to mimic offering him comfort. It seemed to be physically impossible for the man to actually give comfort; the best he could manage was a weak parody borne of having studied the process in others. The result was always lacking and left him yearning for Cecelia's understanding touch.

"What do we have to do to make it happen?" he asked. The question made him sound - and feel - unbearably young. He closed his eye, wishing for youth, for the time when he had been foolishly in love and had nothing else to worry about except for how to make his wife smile.

"The Millennium Items are close. All we have to do is steal them," Hafiz replied. "The Puzzle… the Rod… the Ring… The Tawk… They are under my roof. The other three are already in my possession and I can feel my power growing." His eyes flashed with triumph. "Imagine what it will feel like to have them all."

Pegasus swallowed, the distinct feeling of something not being quite right mounting. "I'm sure it will be wonderful."

Obviously his statement wasn't as convincing as he'd hoped, because Hafiz looked down at him with a narrowed gaze. "Do you not want your precious wife back?" he hissed. Swiftly, he knelt and gripped Pegasus's chin between unforgiving fingers, squeezing until the younger man cried out in pain.

"I'm sorry," he whimpered. His instinct was to pull back, but he forced himself to stay still, knowing that Hafiz's grip would only grow more ruthless until he submitted to the hold. He leaned forward instead and tried to relax, lowering his eyes in submission. For a split second, the desire to use the Millennium Eye to peer into his yami's mind and find out the truth flickered through him, but he instantly pushed it aside. To those who were used to shadow magic, the presence of the Eye's power could be felt, and Hafiz would be truly enraged if he discovered that Pegasus had scanned his mind. That, plus the fact that it was unlikely he would learn anything in the few precious seconds he'd have before Hafiz caught on, kept him from doing so.

"You will remember who is in charge," Hafiz said softly, slowly releasing his grip. As the blood rushed back into his face, Pegasus could feel his chin beginning to throb, and he knew he would have an impressive set of bruises there later on. Knowing that he'd gotten off lightly, he remained on his knees, head lowered as Hafiz rose to his feet and turned away. He clenched his fists, struggling against the urge to give into tears, as his yami lifted a hand and snapped his fingers.

The shadows shifted as the Field Barrier recognized his power and allowed it to pass through. A girl appeared in the darkness, just barely visible to anyone who took the time to look. She had long, pale hair and dark eyes. One side of her body was dressed like an angel and the other was dressed like a devil. She visibly twitched when she looked at Hafiz, like part of her wanted to run away, but slowly – very slowly – she bent forward in a low bow. Her hair fell across her face, hiding a grimace that only Pegasus saw. He wouldn't call her out on it, though. Not when he could practically feel the lower half of his face swelling.

"Change of Heart, what have you to report?" Hafiz demanded.

"It is as you foresaw," the girl replied, keeping her eyes on the ground. Like all duel monsters summoned into Illusion Castle, she knew better than to challenge Hafiz by looking him straight in the face. Only Pegasus was granted that privilege, and at the moment, not even he would have dared. "The boy trusts me. I should be able to get close to him if that is what you desire."

"You know me so well." The anger left Hafiz's voice, and he sounded sickly sweet as he crossed the room and cupped her cheek. She continued to stare at the floor even when he tilted her face up and his smile widened. "I want you to continue acting like you want to protect him. Go to him and lead them into my trap, understand?"

"Yes," she whispered.

"Good." There was a flicker of satisfaction in his voice as he rocked backwards, looking between the two of them with an altogether possessive expression. "I'm going upstairs to speak with our guests. Both of you get ready to implement the final stage of the plan. If this fails, I will not be pleased." The temperature in the room dropped as his shadow magic swelled with warning. Pegasus shivered and curled in on himself further, staring down at the floor. "Do not disobey me, or the consequences will be severe." He turned and swept out of the room.

It took several minutes for him to remember to breathe again, and then only when he realized that his lungs were burning from a lack of air. He passed a shaking hand over his face and closed his eye, trying not to think about how the past few hours had gone. Hafiz didn't get truly angry very often, but when he did, it was safest to stay well out of his way. He grew cruel when he was upset, and he didn't care who or what was standing in his way as a result. Everyone suffered when he decided that someone had failed to live up to his expectations. Pegasus had lived the past few years thinking that was what was a yami was supposed to be - after all, they _were _darkness personified. But some part of him was recoiling in doubt now that he had seen the others. Something... something didn't seem right.

"Just ignore it," he muttered to himself, anxiously sliding his hands into his hair. Cecelia had always loved his hair. She could go on for hours about the beautiful shade of silver as she combed her fingers through the strands. He gritted his teeth as he pulled hard, willing some sense back into his head. Why was he allowing those children to create doubt in his heart? Cecelia would forgive him for everything he had done on his quest to bring her back to life. Wouldn't she?

"Are you alright?" The question was soft, tentative, hesitant. Change of Heart stepped in front of him and leaned down, pulling his hands from his hair. Several strands were yanked out along with his fingers and he flinched as the burning pain shot across his scalp. She frowned, chewing on her lip, before gently sliding her hands onto his head to soothe the ache. "Don't hurt yourself. He's not worth that."

"Why?" he asked, gradually relaxing under her patient touch. "He's your brother."

There was a long pause and then she took a deep breath. Her hands fell away and she stood up. "You wouldn't understand," she said harshly. She spun on her heel and stalked out of the room.

He stared down at his hands, feeling lost and alone. No, he probably wouldn't, but that didn't mean he wouldn't have tried. The nagging feeling continued to persist, but he tried to ignore it as he shakily got to his feet and straightened his suit, plucking at the jacket and trousers until they hung from his body in straight, impeccable lines. His eye socket ached and he absently put a hand to his eye, tracing the line of the Millennium Eye almost absently. Unbidden, a thought flashed into his head and refused to leave. If he wasn't a hikari, if Hafiz wasn't his yami, then what was he?

**GMA**

"Mai? Mai, are you alright?" Anzu fell to her knees beside the woman, panic thrumming through her when Mai failed to respond to her call. The older woman was laying face down on the floor and didn't move even when Anzu touched her shoulder. Between her and Mokuba, they managed to roll the blonde over onto her back. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was weak and shallow. "Mai? Can you hear me?"

"Let me see," said Isis, moving closer. She placed a hand on Mai's forehead and frowned at the cool temperature. "She's going into shock. We have to warm her up somehow."

All of them exchanged clueless expressions. Their luggage was long gone, abandoned in the cars and near the dock, and their summery clothing would not help. Mokuba finally stood up and took charge. "Anzu-san, you and Harpy Lady try to keep her warm with your body heat," he instructed. "The rest of us will look through the trunks. Maybe there's something up here we can use."

Shizuka moved instantly, throwing open the nearest trunk and perusing the contents. She could tell at a glance that most of them would be filled with old junk that likely meant something to Pegasus, but which was useless to them. The little clothing that she did find was dusty and worn to the point of falling apart. She kept looking, only barely conscious of the fact that Mokuba and Isis were beginning to search as well, and came to a small chest that had been tucked away into the corner of the room. It was older, the top covered with burnished gold, with a rusted lock on the front that broke apart easily when she tugged on it.

"Wow," she breathed, running her fingers across the heavy fur cloak that sprang out of trunk. It was a little old-fashioned but it would do well enough for Mai. She grabbed it and stood up, tucking it beneath her arm. Something toppled out of the pocket and she paused to pick the object up before she scooted across the floor. "Here, this will help. Tuck it around you."

"Thanks," Anzu said, receiving the cloak gratefully. She pulled it around the three of them, keeping Mai between her and Harpy Lady. "What's that?"

"I don't know." Shizuka examined the little round orb curiously. There was a thin chain connected to it, so presumably it was a necklace of some kind, though it seemed a little heavy for that. Her close inspection revealed a small seam and, curious, she slipped her fingernail inside to pry it open. Her eyes widened and she gasped softly when the two sides fell apart and revealed what was inside. "Oh… It's a locket. Cecelia's locket. Look!"

Drawn by her comment, Mokuba and Isis clustered around to see what she was looking at. For all that it appeared to be simple, the locket was apparently quite technologically advanced. When it opened, a small hologram projector was activated, and it projected an image into the air above the locket. The image was of three children, two girls and a boy, who was being held by the older girl - Cecelia. The younger girl was undeniably Mai, and the boy was definitely Bakura. All three children were dressed in summery clothing and the background behind them was some kind of cabin.

"Aw, they're so cute," Anzu said softly.

"This is it!" Shizuka's eyes were sparkling. "This is proof that we can show to Pegasus to make him understand that Mai was telling the truth. He'll _have_ to believe her now."

"But he's gone," Mokuba pointed out wearily, having just noticed the truth of it. He thought about the dizzying path Pegasus had led them on to get here and rubbed his head. "I don't know how we're going to get close enough to show it to him. He's got secret paths all over this castle. He could be standing right outside this room and we would never know."

"Leave that to me," Anzu muttered, taking the locket carefully from Shizuka. It dangled from her fingers, swaying gently in the breeze. She would_ make_ Pegasus listen to her no matter what it took. The man had to know the truth about what was going on. "Do you know where the Field Barrier is, Isis? Can you destroy it?"

Isis turned and walked over to Cecelia's portrait wearing a thoughtful expression. After pacing back and forth a few times, she reached for the golden cord and tugged, pulling the curtains open and revealing Cecelia's cheerful smile. "The Field Barrier," she announced grimly.

"No!" Shizuka stared at her, pressing a hand over her mouth. "You can't be serious!"

"I'm afraid so. He - " the amount of disgust in her voice made it clear she was talking about Hafiz - "would have put it somewhere he deemed safe. There's no way that Pegasus would have accidentally thrown this portrait out, or gotten rid of it, or been anything but careful with it. It's one of the few things that someone would hesitate to destroy in this room." She placed a hand against the frame and winced at the feel of the shadow magic oozing out of it. "Yes, it's in here, definitely."

"But we can't… Can we?" Mokuba asked uncertainly. He didn't feel right in destroying the portrait when it meant so much to Pegasus. In spite of what he had done to Mai, he couldn't get the man's expression of complete reverence and love out of his mind. Pegasus cherished the painting so much and it seemed wrong to harm it in any way. "Is there a way to deactivate the card without…?"

"Not unless one of us had a Field Barrier card and the ability to use shadow magic in spite of the fact that one is active," Isis replied. "I know how you feel, but we don't have a choice. We're at too much of a disadvantage right now and I'm worried about the others. They might have met up with Hafiz already."

At the thought of his brother going about against that man without magic, all doubts about getting rid of the portrait instantly fled Mokuba's mind. "How do we do it?"

"Harpy Lady is the only one who can." Isis turned to face the duel monster, who was still curled up against Mai. "In a normal duel, Field Barriers can't be destroyed. We would have to search the castle until we found one of our own to activate, and that could take days. But in this case, since the card has been attached to a physical object, destroying the portrait should break the barrier."

"And I bet if_ we_ tried to physically attack the barrier, we'd be killed," Shizuka said slowly. It was the perfect plan in many ways. If it hadn't been for Mai, who was able to summon duel monsters inside of the castle, they would have been in a lot of trouble. She shivered. "Harpy Lady, can you attack the portrait?"

The duel monster stood up, leaving Mai's side with clear reluctance, and moved around until she was facing the portrait. She tensed and closed her eyes, centering herself and focusing on the thrumming beat of shadow magic. Mai stirred at the feeling of her monster preparing for battle. Her eyes fluttered open and she groped for Anzu's hand, the movement hidden by the thick cloak. Anzu started at realizing that Mai was awake, but willingly slipped her hand into Mai's, intertwining their fingers and hold on tightly. She felt a tug on her magic and swallowed a gasp as Mai drew heavily on the borrowed magic to give extra strength to Harpy Lady.

The air in front of Harpy Lady flickered and then a long, curved whip appeared: the Rose Whip, which would hopefully give her the edge she needed. She reached out and grabbed it, uncoiling the whip with a thin crack. "Whip Punish!" she shouted, her high-pitched voice ringing through the air as she drew her hand back and then slammed it forward. The whip followed the arch of her hand, slicing through the air in a deadly manner. It slammed into the portrait with the force of a speeding truck. A barrier appeared instantly, violet lightning crackling as the force of the whip carried it straight through and into contact with the painting. The gossamer canvas exploded into pieces as the barrier shattered. A thin shiver ran through the air and the difference was noticeable immediately; it was as though a heavy weight on their shoulders had been lifted.

"It worked!" Mokuba whooped as Shizuka clapped her hands together. "Good job, Harpy Lady!"

"You should be able to summon your monsters now," Isis told them. She watched as the two pre-teens instantly reached out to their partners and called them forth. Ryu-Ran and Red Archery Girl flickered into the room a moment later as Harpy Lady staggered, exhausted by the effort it had taken to destroy the barrier. The two duel monsters moved to support her before she could collapse.

"Mai, you did it," Anzu said softly, brushing the soft blonde hair back. She felt significantly drained; Mai had borrowed more than she had been expecting, but she couldn't argue with the results. Mai gave her a weary smile and nodded before her eyes fell shut again. Her head tilted to the side as she passed out.

"Alright. Let's go find Pegasus and Hafiz," said Shizuka.

"Here, take this with you." Anzu held out the locket. As much as she wanted to go with them, she knew that Mai couldn't be left alone. The blonde was too weak to defend herself, and Anzu was so low on magic that she wouldn't be of much help during the battle, anyway. "I'll stay here and watch over Mai, but please make him listen, Shizuka-chan."

Shizuka took the little globe and curled her fingers around it tightly as she looked down at Mai and Anzu. "I will," she said. "I promise. Be careful, Anzu-chan." She turned and walked out of the room, choosing to take the main stairway instead of the secret pathways that Pegasus had shown to her and Mokuba. No matter what it took, they were going to make Pegasus realize the truth about his situation, if only to save him from himself.

**GMA**

It was impossible not to notice when the Field Barrier spell came down. Yuugi felt the change in the air and he didn't even use shadow magic. It was like the air itself shivered and then the temperature rose a noticeable few degrees. He could feel the tension easing from the rest of the group as they, too, were affected by the change. "The girls must have gotten to the barrier and removed it," he remarked, looking back at the others.

"Good," Seto said, his blue eyes cold. Blue Eyes White Dragon roared to him in greeting when he reached for her and he could tell that she hadn't liked being cut off from him, either. He gratefully received the extra energy she willingly sent in his direction and took Jou's hand to share it. The blond smiled at him as the combined force of dragon strength spiraled through their veins, lighting them up from the inside out. It was like drinking six cups of sugary coffee all at once, but better.

"This means we have to be even more careful," said Bakura grimly. "Hafiz is going to realize that one of his little protections has run its course. He won't be messing around now." He had an arm wrapped protectively around Ryou, keeping the younger boy as close to him as possible. Ryou didn't seem to mind.

"It doesn't matter how careful he is." Mariku had been unusually silent until now, but the dark look in his eyes told more about his state of mind than Yuugi cared to interpret. His voice was a low, threatening growl. "If he had any degree of intelligence, he would have fled the island by now."

"He probably hasn't. I can't imagine he would back down from a challenge," Yami observed.

Yuugi shifted uneasily at the increasingly dark feeling that was settling into the air and the hair on the back of his neck prickled. He hadn't really known Yami, Mariku, Bakura or Seto that long, but he was pretty sure that the men had never been as angry as they were right then. Hafiz was pushing all of them well past their limits and the strain was starting to show. If this situation went on for much longer, he didn't know what would happen, but he was beginning to think that there was a real danger of someone snapping and bringing Illusion Castle down around their ears in an effort to get to Hafiz.

\Be calm, little one.\

The voice, warm and dark as honey, slipped into his mind and he jumped. He looked up to see that Yami was smiling at him. "I'm trying," he mumbled back, not feeling up to trying to push thoughts back through their bond. Hopefully the method of communication would become easier with time, but he was too exhausted to make the attempt right then. "I'm so tired, Yami. I want to go home." Just saying the words made him feel unbearably young, but he couldn't help it.

Yami's eyes softened and some of his building rage drained away as he reached out and took Yuugi into his arms, momentarily stopping the group's progress. Most of their friends took the opportunity to rest as Yami pulled him close. "I know," he whispered, running gentle fingers through Yuugi's hair. Yuugi pressed his face into Yami's chest and swallowed back tears. "I know, my little one. It's alright. Shh."

"I'm sorry," Yuugi mumbled, fisting his hands into the cloth of Yami's shirt.

"There's nothing to be sorry about, Aibou." The hand dropped to his back and began rubbing a soothing circle. Yuugi could practically_ feel_ the tension leaving him. It was so hard to be worried or frightened when Yami was holding him like this. "This will all be over soon, I swear, and we'll go -"

Whatever else Yami had been had about to say was cut off by a sharp, happy cry from Ryou. Both of them looked up in surprise as Ryou started to take a step forward, only to be held up as Bakura's hand tightened around his shoulder. Ryou scowled at his other half, but it didn't stop the brilliant smile from appearing on his face as a duel monster walked sedately down the stairs towards them. Technically Yuugi had never seen her before, but he did recognize that she was very familiar to him. His knees went weak and it was a good thing that Yami was holding onto him, because he might have otherwise fallen straight to the floor.

"Amane-chan?" he whispered, shocked.

"Hello, Yuugi-kun," Change of Heart said with a smile. She turned her head and looked at Ryou. "Hello, little brother."

"What are you doing here?" Ryou asked, looking pleased.

"I'm here to help. I know where they are," she replied. "And I will lead you to him."

"_How_ do you know?" Bakura's eyes narrowed.

Change of Heart seemed to be unaffected by his suspicion because she gave him a blank stare. "It's obvious that I've been following him," she said. "Come on. I'll show you." She looked at Ryou and smiled before turning to walk back up the steps. Ryou followed her without hesitation and Bakura was right behind him, and, after a moment, the others followed.

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Please review!


	42. Chapter 42

**A/N:** Thanks for the reviews! I'm a little unsettled about this chapter. I should warn you now that I'm putting a warning up and please pay attention to it so that no one gets unnecessarily upset. In light of that, it doesn't sound very good for me to say enjoy, but… well, go for it.

**Warning:** Suicide and character death. Be advised.

* * *

Instead of down, Change of Heart was leading them up... and out. Even though he had disliked being inside of the castle, Yuugi didn't like the thought of leaving it, and he could tell that the others felt the same way. He felt apprehensive about being out in the middle of Illusion Forest. It didn't look like a very nice place. But Ryou was willing to believe his sister/partner when she said that she knew where Hafiz was, and really, there was no reason to disbelieve her when she told them that she had been pretending to be on Hafiz's side for the past few years in order to keep a close eye on him. However, it didn't escape Yuugi's notice that Bakura and Yami exchanged significant looks at that and that both of them were keeping a close eye on her.

Shortly before they would have left, Shizuka, Mokuba and Isis joined them, bringing along the report of Anzu and Mai and how the two of them were resting upstairs and would later try to make their way safely from the castle. Now that their group was mostly all together, Yuugi could see that most of them had been wounded in some way, and they were all tired. He wasn't exactly inspired, but one way or another, this fight was going to end, he could tell that much. Yami and Bakura took the lead behind Change of Heart and he walked towards the middle of the group with Malik and Ryou, leaving the others to surround them in a loose circle.

"Are you okay?" he muttered to Malik. His friend was pale and didn't seem to be overly stable on his feet. Yuugi knew it had to be affecting him poorly to be around Hafiz all the time, but there was nothing they could do about that for the time being.

"I'm fine. It's not me I'm worried about." Malik sent a quick glance towards Ryou, who wasn't paying attention to their conversation in the slightest. All of his attention had been focused on Amane, Change of Heart, and a bomb could have gone off beside him and he wouldn't have noticed. He was basking in her every word like a little child. "Do you know her, Yuugi?"

"Kind of." Yuugi looked up, staring curiously at the girl's back. "Ryou and I weren't very close at the time, but I saw her once or twice when she came to pick Ryou up from school. She was nice." Brisk, like most older siblings were, and she'd usually treated Ryou like he was several years younger than he was, but the love between them had been evident to anyone who took the time to look. "They really cared about each other. I think that car crash almost took Ryou in more ways than one."

He'd met Ryou shortly before the fateful car crash that had taken Bakura Amane's and Emiko's lives. It had been a very painful time for Ryou, as he had been in the car with his mother and sister. Because he had been in the back seat, he had been the sole survivor, suffering only a broken leg and fractured ribs. They didn't speak about it much, but he found it hard to forget the look of utter pain that had come over Ryou's face when he found out about his family, and after that the white-haired boy had fallen into a deep depression that took him years to recover from, and Osamu's reaction had not helped the matter. No wonder Ryou was so happy to see that Amane was alive again.

But at the same time… something about the situation wasn't sitting right. He frowned as Change of Heart led them outside through a door that none of them had been through yet. She was heading towards a courtyard of some kind that was bordered by the sea on one side, the castle on another and the forest on the rest. "I don't know. She seems different, but I didn't know her that well in the first place. And the duel monster she is…" he trailed off and dropped his voice, unconsciously edging closer to Malik. "Change of Heart is notorious for being a troublemaker. You can't trust it because it plays both sides."

Literally, the second he finished speaking, there was an explosion in the distance. Yuugi jumped and looked ahead to see that Pegasus was waiting for them on the courtyard, arms crossed, regarding them calmly. The "explosion" had been the sound of the air being torn apart as multiple duel monsters materialized at the same time. Only… they didn't look like normal duel monsters. He frowned in confusion at their almost cartoon-like appearance. Certainly none of them looked dangerous, though he had no doubt that they were.

"Pegasus!" Yami shouted, coming to a stop.

"Hello, Pharaoh," Pegasus greeted with a tilt of his head. "It's so kind of you to join me. I know you've been looking forward to a battle for so long, and you must think me very rude for keeping you waiting." A small smile lit his face and he tapped the side of his head where the Millennium Eye was located. "Oh, but that's not what you're thinking at all, is it? Tsk tsk, my boy. You'll taint your hikari if you let yourself lose your temper like that."

Yami visibly stiffened. "Do not even pretend to trouble yourself with my light, Pegasus," he hissed. "Yuugi is not and never will be your concern."

"Hmm, pity. I believe he and my yami had a great deal of fun together." Was it Yuugi's imagination, or did Shizuka, Isis and Mokuba collectively tense at the comment? If Pegasus noticed, he gave no indication as he added, "Besides, you are the ones who are here, on my property. That means you're my guests and technically, you are my concern. I'd hate to be seen as a poor host."

"Dark Magician -"

"Stop!" Seto's hand shot out and he gripped Yami's shoulder tightly, stopping the command before it could fully form. "There is something wrong, Yami."

Before Yami could respond, Shizuka stepped forward. "Pegasus, please listen to me," she cried. Her hand went to her chest where there was a small golden globe hanging off of a gold chain. "Your wife really is Mai's sister. Mai wasn't lying to you. We were telling you the truth about everything."

Bakura stiffened. "_What_?" he demanded, spinning around to face Shizuka.

She looked at him briefly, apology written into her features, before she returned her glance to Pegasus. "Hafiz hasn't been telling you the truth, Pegasus. No force in this world can bring Cecelia back to you no matter how much you miss her. He told you that the Millennium Items had that kind of power because he wanted your help in collecting them. He couldn't do it on his own. You have to stop this. You're doing exactly what he wants."

Pegasus glared at her. "What do you know?" he hissed, his show of bravado fading temporarily. "You children are all alike. You don't know what it's like to lose someone. My yami - "

"He's not your yami!" Shizuka practically yelled, stamping her foot. "Why don't you listen to me? What is it about that man that makes you want to stick up for him? He doesn't treat you well. He abandoned you to fight all of us!" She waved a hand at her friends. "Do you honestly think you can win, Pegasus? Against three owners of the Millennium Items? Against the Pharaoh?" Her voice was filled with derision and she shook her head. "Even Hafiz hesitates to face us because he knows he can't win. That's why he sent you down here. He's nothing but a coward and he's hiding behind you."

The silver-haired man actually wavered. He looked at Yami and then back at Shizuka. "No, it's all a part of his plan."

"There is no plan," she whispered. "He's lying to you. He always has been lying to you. Cecelia isn't coming back. Look, I'll prove to you that what Mai said is true and maybe then you'll believe me about the rest." She pulled the necklace off and held it up, sliding a nail into the tiny gap. It opened easily, projecting the picture into the air. Pegasus's eye went wide and Bakura paled.

"Where did you get that?" he asked, stunned.

"It was in a cloak upstairs," Shizuka replied softly, caught off guard. "We found it when we were searching through Cecelia's things."

Bakura stepped forward, eyes focused on the picture, jaw clenching tightly. Ryou blinked, losing all interest in Amane, as he turned and looked at his yami. He'd never felt that kind of emotion coming from Bakura. "Are you alright?" he asked quietly, glancing at the image. "She was your cousin too, right?"

"Yes. I haven't seen her in years," the older boy answered quietly. He remembered that day. It was shortly after his parents had been killed and he'd been taken to live with his aunt and uncle. Cecelia and Mai had been so receptive to having him there. They'd taken to acting like his older sisters in no time at all, and that trip to a summer resort was one of the few positive memories he had of his childhood. Seeing it again made him feel strange. He hadn't thought of Cecelia in years, not since she had left.

"She died," Shizuka told him, sympathy flashing across her face. "But she never forgot about you or Mai. She wore this around her neck all the time. It was even visible in a portrait that she had commissioned shortly before her death."

"I used to ask Cecelia what was inside that locket." Without her notice, Pegasus had come closer. His haunted gaze was locked onto the image. "She used to laugh and tell me that it was one of her favourite memories, and she always promised to show me one day. But then she died and I thought…" He wavered. "I thought it might be of me and her."

"Do you see?" Mokuba asked. "Mai was telling you the truth. She's your sister-in-law, and Bakura is your cousin-in-law."

"Do not ever call me that again," Bakura muttered.

Pegasus stared at the locket for several minutes in silence. To be honest, the oldest girl in the image did look an awful lot like Cecelia. But if that was her, then... He looked at Bakura, seeing the obvious familiarity between him and the white-haired child in the picture, and shook his head. No. It couldn't be true. Hafiz wasn't lying; he couldn't be lying. "No, this doesn't prove anything. That could be anyone. There's no proof!"

"Are you crazy? This is totally proof!" Mokuba exclaimed, beyond frustrated. "Why won't you listen to us? We're trying to help you. Hafiz has taken over your whole castle and he obviously doesn't treat you very well." No one could miss the vivid bruises that had mysteriously appeared on Pegasus's chin, including four on the right side of his jaw and one on the left side that looked suspiciously like finger and thumb impressions. "Pegasus, please."

"Shut up. Attack!" Pegasus shouted at the duel monsters.

After that, it was chaos. Yuugi was vaguely aware of everything around him exploding into motion. Malik grabbed him by the arm and hauled him across the courtyard, heading for the side where it would hopefully be safer as battle raged around them. He craned his neck, searching for Ryou, but he couldn't see anything. Brightly coloured flashes of light were flying in every direction as duel monsters clashed in battle. Dark Magician flew over their heads, pursued by something that looked a little like a cartoon version of Maiden of the Moonlight. Yuugi shuddered and increased his pace, running at full tilt beside Malik, knowing that getting out of the danger zone was the best thing that the two of them could do.

"Get down!" Malik shouted at him, dropping to his knees even as he spoke. Something – Yuugi didn't really want to know what it was – flew over their heads and over the side, down the cliff and into the water below. He heard the distant splash and winced as his knees hit the stone, scraping painfully.

Then – someone was standing over them.

Pegasus.

Malik tensed, eyes automatically darting around in search of his yami. But everyone seemed to be occupied by the fight. He looked up at Pegasus and narrowed his eyes, sitting back on his heels in an effort to appear less weak. "What do you want?" he demanded, one hand coming up protectively in front of Yuugi. He didn't know much about using that odd power that had helped him when Hafiz was trying to attack, as it seemed to be more of an inborn reaction than anything else, but he knew he'd had more practice than Yuugi.

"Your yami." There was an oddly blank look in Pegasus's eyes, like he wasn't all there.

"What about him?" Yuugi asked hesitantly. This was a man who had helped to cause him untold pain. He hadn't forgotten that while Hafiz had shocked him, Pegasus had stood by and done nothing but watch, like it was something he saw everyday. For all Yuugi knew, it was. Pegasus was a dangerous man even if he wasn't quite at the calibre that Hafiz was, and he couldn't help tensing when the man took a step towards the two of them.

"My yami," said Pegasus. The words were spoken flatly and Malik and Yuugi exchanged confused looks, neither of them quite sure what Pegasus was trying to say. Both of them jumped when the man suddenly slumped to his knees, one hand lifting to touch the Millennium Eye. He brushed the curtain of silvery hair back to reveal the golden object and tilted his head upwards.

It was a strange feeling, like the curious brush of something very soft and tentative against his mind. Yuugi inhaled sharply, startled by the touch, and closed his eyes without thinking. The touch continued into his head, probing his thoughts, skirting by the bond with his other half as though afraid the bond might leap up and try to bite him. He knew that Pegasus was seeing what was in his mind, but somehow, it wasn't as instrusive as he would have expected, and he relaxed a little, not protesting when the touch probed further, into the memories he had been trying so hard to forget. Just as an image of Mai flickered across his mind, the touch retreated with a gasp on Pegasus's part.

Yuugi looked up, wondering what had stopped the assault, and was startled to see that it was Bakura. The older boy was standing between Malik and Yuugi and Pegasus, one hand curled into the lapel of Pegasus's red suit. He had physically broken the connection between the two of them by stepping in front of the boys, and now he was forcing Pegasus to meet his eyes. "Go on," he said coldly. "I want you to see how foolish you've been. Read my mind. I dare you."

Pegasus narrowed his visible eye slightly. "I could destroy you," he said thoughtfully. "The Millennium Eye allows me to see what's in your mind, but if I really wanted to... And your precious ring wouldn't be able to protect you even if you possessed it."

"Just do it," Bakura said tightly.

The silvery hair tipped back as Pegasus looked up into Bakura's eyes. Yuugi felt the tension rise in the air, humming with an almost visible strain as Bakura's breath caught and his eyes narrowed. For several long moments, neither he or Pegasus so much as breathed, and he wondered what Bakura was showing Pegasus, what he wanted the demented man to see. Whatever it was, it must have been effective, because Pegasus gave a stuttered gasp and started to jerk his head away. Instantly, Bakura's hand flashed out and he caught Pegasus by the hair, preventing him from looking away. He stepped forward and leaned down, bringing their faces together, forcing Pegasus to maintain the contact until the older man couldn't stand it anymore and thrashed.

"Please, no more," he cried out, hands trembling. "No more!"

"You know what the truth is." Bakura released him and stepped back, still standing in front of Yuugi and Malik in a way that could only be described as protective. "Don't try to lie to yourself, not anymore. Cecelia deserved better than that."

"No," he whispered, clutching at his head. "No, it can't be true! It can't!"

"Pegasus." Like a divine angel appearing from the heavens, Shizuka came out of the melee and knelt in front of him. She was holding Cecelia's locket. "Hafiz is not your yami. Isis-san was alive back then, back in Egypt, and she knows. He's been lying to you all this time. I'm sorry." Gently, she pried one of his hands from his hair and dropped the locket into his palm. "Cecelia is never coming back. She's dead and the power of the Millennium Items won't change that."

"A lie." Pegasus looked down at the locket for several minutes without speaking. His mind was whirling from all that he had watched. Bakura's memories were like a slow, sticky poison, coating every encounter that he had ever had with Hafiz, forcing him to see that Mai had been telling the truth. She really was Cecelia's sister and Bakura was their cousin; they had grown up together before Cecelia went away with her mother. He tried to take a deep breath and failed, instead coughing weakly as his lungs struggled to take in air.

If that was true, what else might be true? The thought that had been building in his mind for weeks was suddenly at the forefront and no matter what he did, he couldn't push it away. Pegasus had gone on a rampage after losing Cecelia. He had thrown himself into magic, into the supernatural, all in the hopes of finding something - anything - that would bring her back to him. Stumbling across the legend of the Millennium Items had been like a gift from the heavens themselves, and he had immediately wanted to procure them for his own use. He could still remember the day he had found the cave, the day that man had shown up and forced him to carve out a spot for the Millennium Eye. One of the worst days of his life, as the ability gained from the power of the Eye had nearly driven him mad afterwards, and the other Items had slipped out of his hands, never to be seen until they had made their way into the hands of their owners.

He glanced up, studying their faces, searching for a truth that he was beginning to realize was something he might not want to face. He'd been in so much pain after the Millennium Eye had been affixed into place that he'd fallen into a fever. Apparently, he had only just survived being taken from the tomb and being brought back into the city. His doctor had told him repeatedly that he had nearly died, and although Pegasus had never told anyone, he had a vague recollection that once or twice he might have seen his precious Cecelia. Sometimes when he closed his eyes he could remember a touch on his cheek that felt as soft as a feather, accompanied by the sticky sweet scent of Cecelia's favourite lilac and honey perfume. It had taken days for him to recover from the fever and longer still before he had felt up to doing anything except lying in bed and trying not to cry as the thoughts and images of the minds of everyone around him assaulted him continuously.

Waking up to find Hafiz standing over him had seemed like another gift from the gods. The man had been surprisingly calm and patient in the face of Pegasus's pain, treating him much like any man would a son. He'd had remedies that worked for the pain where modern medicine had failed, and eventually Pegasus had dismissed his team of doctors against their advice in favour of leaving his care in Hafiz's more talented hands. As soon as they were alone, Hafiz had begun telling him more stories about the Millennium Items and what they could do. He had learned about the young pharaoh who possessed the Millennium Puzzle and how the Items had come into being. The stories still raged through his mind ever now. Hafiz had urged him to consider collecting the ideas, promising that Cecelia's return was only a short time away.

He'd believed it. Foolishly, perhaps, but he'd been so desperate for anything that might give him a chance. Hafiz had taken control of a large portion of his fortune and men to track the Items down. It proved to be easier said than done, but it was a fight Hafiz was expecting. Every time Pegasus grew despondent, he had perked the younger man up. Pegasus buried his face in his hands with raw gasp, remembering the first time Hafiz had talked about the unique relationship between a yami and hikari, dropping hints all over the place that that was what they were. He remembered jumping at the idea, so eager for somewhere to belong that he had never stopped to question that it was Cecelia who completed him, not Hafiz.

Realization struck hard and he pulled his hands away, staring down at his palms and Cecelia's locket blankly. Could it really be true that all this time, Hafiz had been lying to him? Had he been hurting people for no reason? Mai's words floated across his mind again and he squeezed his eye shut, a sob catching in his throat. All this time, all that pain, and it had been for nothing. Cecelia was not coming back and nothing he did would ever change that. Hafiz had been lying to him from day one and he had been helping the man gain power so that he could go on to hurt even more people. The thought turned his stomach and he gagged, fighting back the urge to throw up.

"Lies. It was all lies," he whispered. Suspicions had been building in his mind for months, but he had always refused to look them straight on, too afraid to find out the truth. Too afraid that it might be true, that Hafiz was power-hungry, that death was the one who had won in the end by keeping Cecelia from him. There was only one way that they would be together now.

He looked up again, beyond the others, towards the battle that was raging in the middle of the courtyard. Had he played right into Hafiz's plans? "Stop," he uttered, trying to get to his feet. His knees crumbled underneath him, but incredibly, Shizuka and Bakura each grabbed one of his arms and lifted him to his feet, keeping him there when his legs would have given out again. "Stop!"

The duel monsters weren't listening. Pegasus hissed under his breath and drew on his shadow magic. It had always been sparse; a source of disappointment for Hafiz, who had once claimed that he couldn't understand why his hikari would have such a pitiful amount of magic. A grim smile crossed Pegasus's lips. He would show his "yami" what he could do with even a meagre amount of power. Grimly, he searched for the bonds that ran from him to his duel monsters, and once he had found them, he gathered them into the palm of his hand before squeezing tightly. Sweat ran down his cheeks and his vision flashed in and out, but he held on, cutting off their source of energy and refusing to let go even when the backlash hurt so much he wanted to scream in agony. Gradually, one by one, his duel monsters let go of their hold on the world and faded out of existence, returning to the Shadow Realm, until the only creatures that remained were those that Hafiz had summoned. They had never listened to Pegasus before and he doubted they would now.

However, it left the battle more evenly sided, giving the children a chance to rest. He could see the way they looked at him, the suspicion in their eyes, and it made him sick to think about the trouble he had caused for them. If only he had opened himself up to the truth earlier… but it had been so much easier to be selfish, to think only of himself and Cecelia and the future he wanted so desperately that had been torn from the so cruelly. Instead of trying to move on, he had ignored the world, clinging desperately to the past, and in the process caused many people irreparable damage.

"I'm sorry," Pegasus said, hanging his head. He was so tired, and so disgusted with himself. It was one thing to be ignorant of what was going on, but it was a whole other thing entirely to willingly turn a blind eye. Even now, he didn't know the full list of things Hafiz had done, but it was enough to know even a few of them, to know that he had stood by and let so much happen. What he had done… what they had done… was unforgiveable.

"Pegasus…" Yami's eyes were narrowed slightly as he struggled to figure out where this was going. He didn't trust the man in front of them, not one bit. Pegasus was too dangerous and had proven in the past that he couldn't be trusted. "What are you doing?"

"I…" His voice trailed off. What _was_ he doing? Slowly, his gaze fell to the locket he still held in his hand. All he had ever wanted was to be with Cecelia. After her death he had latched onto Hafiz, so grief stricken and desperate that he never stopped to think about the differences between them, why Hafiz made him feel worse while Cecelia had only ever given him hope. Hafiz could not complete him. No one could. She was the only one he wanted. There was nothing else for him in this world.

Shizuka must have read the intent in his face, because her hands tightened around his arm. Gently but firmly, Pegasus pushed both her and Malik away. "Thank you," he said, dropping the locket back into her hand. "Thank you for making me see the truth even when I fought you every step of the way. I'm sorry."

"Pegasus…" she whispered, her face lined with tears.

He smiled at her weakly, knowing that he could not explain: could not describe how he was broken and empty and that there was nothing left to live for. He had tried and he had failed and now he was done, and his last gift to the world, even if it was worth nothing in comparison to the things he had done, was to make sure that Hafiz would never get his hands on the full set of the Millennium Items. The Millennium Eye burned as he turned and ran towards the edge of the cliff, ignoring the startled cries behind him. He ran and he jumped, flinging his body off the side without a beat of regret, the wind rushing through his hair as the sea rose up to swallow him.

And he imagined, just for a minute, that he could smell lilac and honey on the air.

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Please review!


	43. Chapter 43

**A/N:** Thanks for all of the reviews. I'm so pleased that you guys think I did a good job with Pegasus because, all in all, he was the one "bad guy" in Yugioh that I think really deserved a better ending than what he got. In regards to this chapter, I've been seriously contemplating whether I wanted to do a sequel for this story and I have decided that I do. So, remember that while you're reading. Enjoy!

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For a long, horrified moment, silence hung over the courtyard and no one moved. Everyone was staring at the spot where Pegasus had disappeared. Then a bird swooped over their heads and voiced a hoarse call and, like a spell had been broken, Shizuka launched herself forward with a panicked cry. Otogi knew what she was going to do a split second ahead of time and he was moving before anyone else had even fully registered that she intended to jump off after Pegasus. She let out a yelp when he grabbed her around the waist and lifted her off of her feet. The two of them teetered dangerously on the edge of the cliff and it wouldn't have taken much to send them both over. Bakura and Malik dove forward at the same time, hauling the two away from the edge.

"Are you crazy?" Malik yelled. "That would have killed you!"

"You don't know what I can do!" Shizuka screamed back, still fighting furiously against Otogi's hold. He was hanging on, determined not to release her, knowing that if he did she would jump. "I can... I have a relationship with the sea, I could save him! Let go!"

"No! Shizuka, stop it." Otogi swung her around and gripped her shoulders, forcing her to look at him. "You think Pegasus would _want_ you to save him? Do you think he would thank you? Because he wouldn't. He wanted to die. He wouldn't have given you that otherwise." He grabbed her wrist and opened her hand, revealing Cecelia's locket. "And regardless of how much the water loves you, there's a good chance that you would be dashed to pieces against the rocks at the base of the cliff."

"But... But..." Shizuka flailed against him weakly, still crying. Jou finally made his way to her and clasped his little sister in his arms, pulling her close. She broke down immediately, sobbing into his shoulder, as he stroked her hair and tried not to look at the spot where Pegasus had jumped.

"There's nothing we can do for him, is there?" Malik said quietly, wrapping his arms around himself. He was staring at the cliff and the sea beyond with a haunted expression. There had been a few times in the past where he had briefly contemplated taking his own life to get away from Hafiz. Thoughts of his sister had usually been what stopped him; he couldn't even consider leaving Isis behind to deal with Hafiz all by herself. There was no doubt in his mind that Hafiz would have killed her. But to be driven far enough to actually do it... he started to shake, shoulders visibly trembling, and Mariku immediately stepped towards him, bringing Malik into the safety of his arms.

"No," Seto answered him quietly, folding his arms. The other duel monsters had vanished after Pegasus disappeared into the ocean and they were alone again. "Otogi is right. Even there was some way of reaching him, the current is too strong. By now he'll have either struck the rocks if he didn't hit them on the way down, or he'll have been swept out to sea. And I can't imagine he would have tried very hard to save himself as it was."

Yuugi shivered, unable to resist the urge to look out over the edge. His stomach tightened when he saw what a long way down it was. He was by no means afraid of heights, but gazing straight down such a steep cliff was enough to make even his knees weak. The water was a deep, dark blue color, churning and foaming where it broke against the sharp rocks at the base of the cliff. It was easily a hundred foot fall, and he knew that Seto and Otogi were correct. There was no way that Pegasus would have survived that kind of fall: the impact from hitting the water alone would have killed him.

\_Aibou, step back._\ Fear mingled with concern washed over him as Yami's hand came to rest on his shoulder, pulling him gently but firmly back from the edge. Yuugi fell back against his darker half unresistingly, unable to conceal a shudder. Out of all the ways to kill himself, that was one way that he would _not_ want to go.

"I believe," Isis began thoughtfully, "that Pegasus and Cecelia were soul mates. Though they can exist without each other, it becomes progressively difficult." She folded her hands and stared out to sea pensively. "The loss of her drove him mad. He can - _could_ not be blamed for his actions. They were the work of a desperate, deprived man."

Jou swallowed hard. Shizuka felt him go stiff and pulled back to gaze up at her brother questioningly, but he avoided her eyes. "Where is Hafiz now?" he asked, and he was relieved that his voice remained steady.

"He must be inside the castle." Yami looked at the duel monsters that had gathered around them. "Find him," he commanded. "Do not harm him unless you absolutely have to, but I want him found before he finds a way off of the island. We'll split up, but don't go _anywhere_ by yourself." He took Yuugi's hand in his and pulled his partner along towards the castle.

Jou remained standing still as the others, including Shizuka, began to head back inside. He stepped closer to the edge and glanced down, feeling slightly sick. Pegasus and Cecelia were soul mates and her death had driven the man to the point of insanity. There had been times when he'd wondered what would happen if Seto died. Since they weren't light and dark, he hadn't thought that it would really be a big deal. Apparently he'd been wrong. His stomach clenched and twisted. The thought of Seto dying was bad enough, but then to know on top of that, that there was a chance he would be driven crazy by it? Or worse yet, what if it was the other way around? Seto was so brilliantly intelligent.

Warm arms encircled him and pulled him against a tall, firm body. "You're borrowing trouble, my pup," Seto's voice rumbled deep in his chest. The vibration again Jou's back was soothing.

"I can't help it." Jou leaned back against Seto fully, relishing the strength radiating off of his lover. He felt safe. "I was thinking about Pegasus and Cecelia and how they were soul mates, too."

Seto sighed, his breath mussing Jou's hair even more. "I knew that you were. Pup, listen to me. You can't know what's going to happen, but if you worry too much about the future you're going to drive yourself crazy. I'm not going anywhere, I promise." He turned Jou around. His hand was oddly gentle as it came to rest on his lover's cheek, forcing Jou to look up into his eyes. "Believe me when I say that we have many years left, alright?"

Jou wavered. He wanted to believe Seto, truly, he did. They were both young and healthy and possessed a good portion of shadow magic, so really, there was no reason why they wouldn't have an above average life span. And yet... the raw desperation in Pegasus's eyes and voice still haunted him. He lowered his head so that it was resting against Seto's shoulder, feeling completely wrung out. What had begun as an adventure had turned into something so much more, and although he had enjoyed every minute of it, there were times when he wished that he and Seto could merely be a normal couple whose biggest occupation was whether or not they'd be having sex that night.

"I just want to go home," he said softly, curling into his taller lover. He'd never admit it, but one of the things that had attracted him to Seto in the first place was the fact that the brunette towered over even him. It got a little tiring looking down at people all day and sometimes it was very soothing to have Seto all wrapped around him, knowing that his lover would never judge him for that small bit of weakness.

A gentle kiss was placed on top of his head. "We will. As soon as we find Hafiz, this ordeal will be over with," Seto promised softly. "Can you wait that long?" He sounded worried, and Jou knew that if he said he couldn't, Seto would find him a way off of the island then and there. It was just the way his lover was, and it was another thing in a long list of what he loved about Kaiba Seto.

"Yeah, I want to see that bastard get his just desserts." A mischievous smirk spread over Jou's face and he leaned back just far enough to wink up at Seto. "We've come this far, I think I can hang around long enough to watch Yami totally kick his ass."

Seto smirked and pressed a harsh kiss against Jou's parted lips before releasing his lover and taking his hand. "Come on, Pup. We'd better go do damage control before our pharaoh starts tearing the castle down."

Though it had been meant as a joke, Seto actually sounded kind of worried, and the two of them immediately set off towards Illusion Castle at a light jog. The grounds were deserted, with no sign of their friends, the palace servants or rogue duel monsters, so they went straight inside. Jou looked around, wondering where Hafiz would have gone, but as it turned out he didn't have much time to think about it. From outside there came a raucous sound, and it was so out of place on the island that it took him a second to remember what it was. Helicopters. His face lit up. People! People who wouldn't be trying to kill them! Seto must have been thinking the same thing because he spun and yanked the door back open.

"Those are Kaiba Corp choppers!" Jou yelped with excitement and relief, falling against Seto's back. He would recognize the symbol emblazoned on the side of those machines anywhere.

One of the helicopters landed and a tall young woman wearing a crisp blue suit hopped out. "Kaiba-sama, we received word from Mokuba-sama that you and your friends had been sequestered on this island and required immediate help." Her eyes swept over them clinically, searching for any obvious wounds. "Several of your personal doctors have been brought, as Mokuba-sama indicated that there were injured people in your party. Where can I direct them to?"

"The Northern Tower," said Jou, realizing that he didn't know where the entrance was. "Find Mokuba. He'll know where it is."

"Yes, Katsuya-sama." The woman gave a short bow and then spun, bringing something up to her mouth. She began speaking into it rapidly and Jou realized that it was a cell phone of some kind, or possibly a radio. Two more of the helicopters landed and a few men dressed in white coats got out, along with the more familiar, dark suited men and women of Kaiba Security. It was a relief to see them, to watch them move into the castle and know that their presence meant at least some form of safety was near.

"We'll wait out here," Seto said suddenly, taking Jou's hand in his.

"Eh?" Jou shot his lover an incredulous look. "But Seto - "

"Shh, Pup."

It only took half an hour for Kaiba Security to search the castle from top to bottom, including the secret halls and pathways that Shizuka and Mokuba had pointed out. One by one, Yami, Yuugi, Bakura, Ryou, Malik, Mariku, Otogi, Honda, Shizuka, Mokuba and Isis were led out of the castle and herded into a small spot just to the right of the stairs, where Seto and Jou were already waiting, along with their duel monsters. An unconscious Mai was carried out and placed straight onto the helicopter with Anzu right behind her, though Anzu did pause long enough to give them a comforting thumbs-up sign as an indication that they were both alright. Shortly after that, one of the security personnel approached Seto with a deep frown.

"Kaiba-sama, we have searched the castle and the surrounding woods and there is no sign of Hafiz Ishtar," he said. "It appears that he has fled the building through the use of an underground cavern and a submarine that was waiting for him."

"A submarine?" Malik echoed incredulously, eyes wide. For as long as he could remember, his father had utterly loathed the ocean. Refused to so much as step foot in it, claiming that so much water was unnatural. He couldn't believe that the man would have escaped using a sub. It sounded ludicrous.

"So he got away after all that," Yuugi whispered, hardly able to believe it. There was something about that that seemed so _wrong_. He'd never liked or approved of violence, but when it came to Hafiz, he would have been willing to see an exception made in order for some justice to be dolled out. The fact that the man had escaped without facing up to what he'd done was... He shook his head. "Isn't there a way to catch him?"

"He has a substantial head start and we have no way of tracking which direction he went in," the security man said apologetically. "We'll send boats that are equipped with sonar equipment out, but honestly the odds of finding him are low, especially at this point." He cast a glance out towards the sea, where the sun was beginning to set on what had been the longest day ever. "We'll have to wait until morning to begin the search. But I suggest that in the meantime you and your friends should return home, Kaiba-sama. We'll search the rest of the island and make sure that anyone who is still here is detained for questioning."

"Thank you," Seto said, ducking his head. He'd been expecting this. From the moment that Pegasus had thrown himself off the cliff, Seto had begun to suspect that Hafiz had fled the island. It made sense to send someone out as a distraction while he took the coward's way out. His jaw tightened and he shifted restlessly, feeling distinctly unfulfilled. It didn't take much to know that Yami, Bakura and Mariku were feeling the same way. After all of the trouble and pain Hafiz had caused, he was walking away from it without a care in the world, and worse yet, no one knew when he would be back.

"We'll catch him," Yami said suddenly, his hand clenching into a fist. There was a shadow in his eyes as he released the bond that held Dark Magician to the world. As the others followed suit, he added, "No matter where he goes, someday we will find him, and Hafiz will pay for his crimes."

A heavy silence descended over the group, all of them staring out to sea. One of the security men started to step forward, intending to usher them onto the helicopters, but another stopped him. It was plain to see that the children needed a moment to themselves. And sure enough, after a few minutes, Seto sighed and began wearily directing people to the nearby helicopters. There was more than enough space for all of them and he made sure to keep everyone as close together as possible. He was the last person to get on, and once he was settled between Mokuba and Jou, the helicopters took off for the mainland.

**GMA**

It was cold, and dark, and wet. Amane shivered in her costume and wrapped her arms around herself loosely in a bid for extra warmth. She thought longingly of her brother, of standing on the cliff with warmth and sunny skies and a gentle wind, but forced herself to shake the image out of her mind. There was no point in thinking about Ryou because she had chosen to leave him behind. Hafiz had been leaving and, having successfully distracted Ryou and his friends, she'd made the decision to go with him. God she hoped that someday Ryou would forgive for this, but she couldn't help her nature. That was what being Change of Heart was all about, a constant balancing act to be caught in the middle of good and evil, and she had no choice.

Hafiz was standing near the front of the sub, looking out into the dark, murky waters with his hands folded behind his back. It was impossible to tell what he was thinking, but he didn't seem to be overly pleased. The duel monsters manning the submarine were doing their best to stay out of his way, none of them wanting to take the blame for his impending wrath. His tantrums were like the elephant in the room that no one wanted to talk about. You could tell when one was coming, but not who it would be directed towards or why, and it made you want to hide just so that his ire wouldn't be drawn in your direction. She shivered and huddled further into the corner.

Suddenly, Hafiz doubled over. His hands flew to his neck and he let out a choked gasp as he staggered and then fell to his knees. Amane leapt forward, white hair flying behind her, and knelt beside him. She was trying to see what was wrong (even though it would have been far better to just let the man choke to death) but he kept pushing her hands away, refusing to let her see. A faint gurgling sound emerged from his throat, like there was something in his lungs. Her brow furrowed as she sat back on her heels, staring at him in increasing bewilderment. If she didn't know it was impossible she would have said that he was drowning.

"That… fucking…" Hafiz breathed raggedly, pounding his hands on his chest as he gagged. Nothing was coming up and he continued to cough and splutter. "He killed himself!"

A chill went down her spine. She thought she knew who he was talking about. There was only one person who could have caused this reaction and if that was the case, she prayed he had found a better end than the one Hafiz had planned for him. "Who are you talking about, sir?" she asked, just to be on the safe side.

"Pegasus!" he roared, shoving her away. Amane couldn't keep back her yelp of pain as she hit the side of the sub and slumped to the floor. The duel monsters around her carefully ignored her, pretending that they hadn't noticed her discomfort. "Instead of fighting against the pharaoh he went and killed himself! The Millennium Eye is at the bottom of the sea!" He sounded so infuriated that it would have been funny had he not been lashing out at anyone close enough to strike.

"Can't you retrieve it?" Amane cried, propping herself up on her hands. "Surely someone could…"

"We'd have to find his body and without the Ring, that will be exceedingly difficult." It sounded like his teeth were gritted. "I will have to map out the currents and try to see where they will bring his body. It could be anywhere up and down the coast of Japan. If we had the Ring…" His voice trailed off and he uttered a low growl. "Maiden of the Moonlight!"

There was a dull flash and then the duel monster appeared. She was in bad shape, Amane saw. Her face was nearly white and her golden hair was ragged. There was a lot of blood covering the back of her costume and the cloth had split, showing off a deep wound. "Yes, Master?" she whispered fitfully.

Hafiz turned to glare at her. "You and Silent Magician were supposed to protect the Rod and the Ring," he hissed. "Silent Magician knew better than to return to me without an Item. He fought to death and went to the graveyard serving me as was his purpose in life. Yet here you stand before me, without the Ring or the Rod, still alive. I know the wound in your shoulder is not bad enough to warrant the graveyard. So may I ask what you think you're doing?"

It was a loaded question and Maiden of the Moonlight knew it. The duel monster struggled to find an answer that wouldn't make him angrier. "I… I had things under control, sir, but they came up behind me," she said in a rush. "The blond ones. The light challenged me and then his yami came out of no where…"

If it was possible, his face became even more twisted with rage. "You lost to _them_?" he practically screamed, taking a threatening step towards her. "How could you?"

She shrank back, fear flickering over her face. "I… I told you," she stammered. "I was occupied with trying to keep the girls subdued. They snuck up on me. I didn't know that they were there. And besides, you said that you wanted him for yourself."

He let out a long slow breath and shook his head slowly, turning away from her. "You have failed me yet again," he stated coldly. "Maiden of the Moonlight, you are a continual disappointment to me and I grow tired of it. The hikari of the pharaoh has escaped and he is no longer under your spell. Furthermore, the bond between him and the pharaoh is now strong enough to keep your power from ever ensnaring him again." His eyes narrowed. "What use are you?"

"I still control the boy's grandfather," she said desperately.

"Until what end? No, you have outlived your usefulness and I no longer have a need for you." Hafiz reached into his pocket and drew forth the golden disk with the symbol of Ra on it. Amane sucked in a sharp breath, her eyes darting towards Maiden of the Moonlight. She wanted to do something to help, to prevent what was about to happen, but she felt frozen. Hafiz wouldn't listen to her and it was likely that if she pushed him too far she would suffer the same fate. And she had already died once, and she had no desire to have it happen again. So she just closed her eyes and turned her face away.

"Please, Master, give me another chance," Maiden of the Moonlight pleaded, backing away. Her eyes searched the submarine desperately, looking fur support. She could have tried to escape, but where would she go? A duel monster could only exist in the real world as long as they were given energy by their master, and if she was returned to the shadow realm it would only be a matter of time before the duel monsters of those children sought her out. It was death now or death later. She closed her eyes. "Please have mercy."

"Be gone," Hafiz growled, the disc flushed with light. "There is no mercy for those who can't follow the simplest of orders!"

In the end, there was not even time for Maiden of the Moonlight to scream. It was like a blip on the screen. One minute she was there and the next she was gone. It was the most silent death that Amane had ever experienced, but there was no doubt in her mind that Maiden of the Moonlight had been sent to the graveyard. Gradually, the light of the disc died away and Hafiz tucked it back under his shirt. His face was a blank mask when he turned back to the window. Now that he was no longer paying attention, Amane felt it was safe to get up off the floor. She felt tired and dizzy, but that was a great deal better than suffering Maiden of the Moonlight's fate. She shuffled over to the corner and stood there, shivering, arms wrapped loosely around her waist, and wished more than ever that she might have chosen differently.

**GMA**

Rebecca was having a wonderful dream. Somehow the aches of having spent hours in a hard-backed hospital chair had faded away, leaving her in a world where Yuugi returned her affections and his yami didn't mind. They were walking through a field of giant teddy bears when she felt the hand on her shoulder, shaking her gently but firmly. She groaned and tried to squirm away, but whoever was trying to wake her up was determined to succeed, and finally she couldn't keep her eyes shut any longer. Sugoroku's brightly lit hospital room came into painful clarity and she winced, lifting her hands to rub at her eyes, giving her another few seconds in blissful darkness.

"What is it, Grampa?" she asked sleepily, finally letting her hands drop to her lap. She straightened up slowly and grimaced as her back protested the action immediately. At some point during her nap she had slumped forward so that her chin was resting on her chest, and she could tell she would be paying for it. Her lower back muscles were all spasming in protest.

"Someone wanted to say hello," Arthur said gently.

"Good evening, Rebecca-chan."

"Huh? Oh!" Rebecca's eyes went wide as her face lit up. Jumping up, she ran the few steps to the bed, gazing happily at the man who was sitting upright. "You're awake!"

"Yes, I am." Sugoroku smiled at her. "I must say, I've never felt better. I'm ready to leave this place any time."

"Now Sugoroku," Arthur said with amusement, "you know the doctors said you have to stay for observation. They're not sure why you ended up in a coma. It could happen again if you're not careful."

Sugoroku wiggled his eyebrows. "I'm not too terribly concerned," he said, and winked at Rebecca. She grinned.

"Perhaps you should be. I know you had us all very frightened." Arthur placed a hand on Rebecca's shoulder as he continued to speak and she leaned against him, relieved that her duty was done for the time being. It was exhausting spending all her days in the hospital and she longed for bed. Slowly, her weight came to rest against her grandfather more and more, her eyes fluttering shut, until she was essentially sleeping while standing in place. Sugoroku glanced at her and chuckled, placing a finger over his lips.

"You should take her home, Arthur," he advised.

Arthur nodded and leaned down, scooping his hands beneath Rebecca's arms. She fussed as he lifted her but settled quickly into the curve of his body. He huffed gently. "Almost too old for this," he said, patting her on bottom fondly.

"They grow up fast," Sugoroku said with a sigh. "Good night, my friend."

"You're sure you'll be alright?"

"Yes, Arthur, go. Take Rebecca-chan home. She's done well." There was a glint of pride in Sugoroku's eyes.

"Indeed she has." Arthur smiled and, with one last nod, carried his granddaughter out of the hospital room. His little girl had done a woman's job, and now it was time for her to rest.

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Please review!


	44. Chapter 44

**A/N:** Thanks for the reviews! I should tell you that this story is really close to being done, so I thought it was time for some fluff. I've been suffering from Post-Reichenbach Depression again and I couldn't bring myself to write anything too sad. But hey, on the plus side there's always room for more fluff in the world, or at least, I happen to think there is. I can't see many of you disagreeing. Enjoy!

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Being back on the mainland felt kind of surreal, like there was a dream they might wake up from without realizing. Malik looked around the helicopter as it came in for a landing, feeling a little dazed. He'd ended up with Yuugi, Yami, Bakura, Ryou, Mariku and Isis. Yuugi was curled up in Yami's lap, sleeping. Yami was staring out the window with a grim expression, absently rubbing the ugly red mark that was round Yuugi's wrist. Bakura had a possessive arm clamped around Ryou's shoulders and although his eyes were closed Malik doubted he was actually asleep. Ryou had his hands clenched into fists in his lap and it was evident he'd been on the verge of tears for most of the journey. Isis was also looking out the window, though she seemed strangely pensive, and Malik suspected she wasn't actually seeing the scenery.

And Mariku... Well, Mariku had climbed into the helicopter first and then proceeded to tug Malik down onto his lap when the younger boy got on behind him. When the driver tried to point out that their position wasn't technically a safe way to fly, he'd been treated to a burning glare until Yami tiredly told him to sit down and start flying already. So Malik had spent the entire trip in his yami's lap with Mariku's arms firmly clasped around his waist and a head buried into the back of his neck. It was a little uncomfortable, especially after his neck began cramping, but he wouldn't have moved for anything. For the first time in years... possibly forever... he actually knew what it was to feel safe. It was a novel concept.

The helicopters finally landed at the Kaiba mansion. Malik got out and felt his knees shaking as he stepped down onto the pavement. He leaned against the hot metal of the machine, hoping to hide his somewhat embarrassing reaction. "What will happen now?" he couldn't help asking. "Where do you think Hafiz will go?"

"That's hard to say," Yami replied. He was holding Yuugi in his arms, clearly enjoying the fact that his semi-conscious hikari had curled around him rather than trying to walk. "Seto has a team of private investigators that will begin trying to track him down as soon as possible. Don't worry, Malik. He can't hide forever."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Malik muttered, rubbing his arms for warmth.

"Alright, everyone into the house," Seto said, leaping gracefully to the ground. After helping Shizuka and Mokuba down, he added, "We all have to eat and get checked out by a doctor before we go to bed. That's not even up for discussion." This was directed towards Mokuba, who had opened his mouth to do just that. The pre-teen pouted and crossed his arms, knowing better than to argue the point. "Come on. I called ahead and the chefs should be ready or us."

Indeed they were. The spread of food was admittedly simple fare, loaves of bread, cheese, turkey, roasted pork, ham, and other things like mustard and mayonnaise to make sandwiches, along with fruit, chips, and a mountain of dessert. Jou and Honda fell on the food ravenously. Even Yuugi woke up long enough to eat a small sandwich, and Malik had to admit that he was hungry. His appetite had been awoken, yet when he sat down with a small plate that was piled high, he realized that he really didn't feel like eating. The food tasted bitter on his tongue and he had a hard time swallowing. Finally, he gave up and just stared blankly at his plate, struggling with the weird but familiar prickling that was going on behind his eyes.

"Bed," someone said, and he looked up, startled. Seto was looking at him and there was an unusual amount of kindness in his blue eyes. "Go to bed, Malik," he repeated. "There's no point in falling asleep in your food. You can take the same room that you were staying in before. There should be some pyjamas waiting for you. I'll have the doctor come back tomorrow to see you."

Falling asleep wasn't what he was in danger of doing, but Malik nodded anyway. Now that they were all safe, weariness was dragging at his bones and he wanted nothing more than to sink down onto the nearest surface and sleep for... oh, the next year or so at least. He stood up, sparing only a brief thought for Ryou and Yuugi before realizing that he didn't have to. Yami and Bakura would make sure that his friends were well taken care of. He nodded to no one in particular and turned, walking out of the room like he was in a daze, yet still aware of Isis's concerned gaze on his back. She wouldn't follow him, not tonight, but he could look forward to being cornered and forced into a long talk the next day.

It took longer than he would have guessed to find his way to the room Seto was talking about. Somewhere between the mansion and Illusion Island, his mind had gone offline, and now he felt like he was running on auto pilot. It wasn't a pleasant feeling. Sluggishly, he stripped his clothing off, not wanting to get into bed when he was still covered in grime, and got into the shower. He turned the water on as hot as he could bear it (which is pretty damn hot considering that for the first several years of his life they had bathed in cold water and anything beyond lukewarm was a precious rarity) and watched as his skin began turning a pleasant shade of pink.

He didn't know when it started. His eyes began feeling even more itchy and hot than before, but it didn't have anything to do with the heat of the shower. The walls blurred and a sob rose in his throat, but he swallowed, cutting it off before it had the chance to escape into the air. His breathing grew ragged and he leaned against the wall for extra support when his legs started feeling weak. It was a battle to hold back the tears and he wasn't sure why he was bothering to anymore. Everyone was safe, and sure Hafiz had gotten away, but at least now he wouldn't have to see the man anymore.

Surprisingly, it was the last thought that sent him over the edge. Malik sank his teeth into his wrist rather than let the sounds of his muffled cries escape the shower. He hadn't cried in years and the thought of anyone knowing that he was succumbing to that kind of weakness was mortifying. The water washed away the salty tears and so in a way it was almost like he wasn't crying at all. And after a couple of minutes he felt strong enough to straighten up and start washing his shaking body, running the cloth over his skin until it began to sting and he had to move on.

Malik cried steadily through his whole shower and by the time he was ready to get out, he was even more exhausted than before, if that was possible. He stumbled as he climbed out and nearly fell to the floor, only just catching himself at the last minute on the counter. There was a pair of pyjamas hanging on the back of the door but he ignored them in favour of wrapping one of the huge fluffy towels around his body. The cloth was soothing against him, softer than anything he'd felt before, and once again he found himself marvelling over the wonders that he and his sister went without for long. That they might still be living without if it weren't for the fact that, whether he intended to do it or not, Hafiz had gotten them out of that place. It was the one thing that Malik would always be grateful to his father for.

Without bothering to brush his hair or even dry off, he opened the door to the room and started to step through, only to freeze in shock. Mariku was sitting on the king sized bed, arms folded and looking back at Malik with an expression that can only be described as weirdly patient. Malik swallowed hard. "What are you doing here?" he asked, realizing too late that there was still a lump in his throat. It caused his voice to break in the middle of his question, but at least he wasn't crying and thank Ra for small miracles.

"I was waiting for you," Mariku said it like it should have been obvious. "You were in the shower and now you're not. You're tired. I'm tired. We're going to bed."

Put like that, it sounded so simple, and Malik didn't have the strength to argue. He numbly walked over to the other side of the bed and paused, suddenly re-thinking the concept of pyjamas after all. But the clothing was in the bathroom and that was a long way away, and Mariku was waiting impatiently for him to get in. So without giving the matter any more thought, he dropped the towel and sat down, swinging his legs up onto the mattress. Like all of the beds in Seto's house, it was extremely comfortable. His body sank down at least a couple of inches as his head came to rest on the pillow.

"I'm so tired," he mumbled, realizing that it was true. They hadn't slept much while they were on the island, and even though they were only there for a couple of days it felt more like weeks had passed. He couldn't remember the last time he had slept the night through instead of for a few minutes at a time.

"I know you are." An arm slid around his shoulders and pulled him closer. Malik let him do it, let Mariku rearrange their bodies until Malik was tucked up underneath Mariku's chin with Mariku's arms and legs around him. Some small part of him was mortified that he was naked while Mariku was dressed in a tank top and boxers, but he didn't really care. Mariku was warm, but it was a different kind of warmth than the shower. This warmth finally permeated the chill frozen in his skin and he shivered.

This time when the tears come he didn't try to hold them back, and Mariku didn't comment. Instead, he gently kissed and patiently licked away every tear that dared to fall, the touch of his tongue surprisingly innocent as he lapped at Malik's cheeks. Malik sighed and if it turned into a whimper by the time it escaped, well, that was hardly his fault. A hand began to stroke his hair in response, pulling him that much closer, until there was literally no room between their bodies, and Malik went to sleep like that, warm and comfortable and loved for the first time in many years. Mariku remained beside him and resolutely kept kissing the tears away.

**GMA**

It was a struggle for Yuugi to remain awake long enough to eat something. He was aware of Yami resolutely plunking the food down in front of him, but all he really wanted to do was push it away. Even though he hadn't eaten in some time, the food - delicious as it looked - wasn't appetizing. He'd had very little sleep while he was under lock and key and in spite of his best efforts, exhaustion was beginning to catch up. Eyes heavily lidded, he managed to force down part of a roast beef sandwich before slipping the remainder of it to Jou, who was consuming anything that was close enough and couldn't run away. His head tilted forward and he sighed, allowing his eyes to slip shut. He'd only sleep for a minute...

There were voices murmuring around him, and then someone grabbed the back of his chair, pulling it away from the table. Before his body could lean forward very far, strong arms picked him up. He was balanced on someone's hip, like a child, which made him suspect that it was probably Seto. It was the kind of position that would have been a complete outrage if he had been fully conscious, but as it was, he was so tired that he just rested his head against the nearest available surface and whined low in his throat. As long as this eventually got him to a bed, that was all he really cared about.

The world moved below him and then he was being placed on a soft bed. "Can you take it from here, Yami?" Seto's voice rumbled beneath him, confirming Yuugi's suspicions.

"Yes, we'll be fine, Cousin." Yami sounded as tired as Yuugi felt. He heard the sound of Seto leaving the room and then someone was leaning over him. Cool hands were unbuttoning his shirt and pulling it off him. Yuugi forced his eyes to open and found himself staring up at Yami.

"Hi," he said sleepily.

Yami smiled. "Hello, little one. I thought you were still awake but I wasn't sure." He gently helped Yuugi to sit up and pulled his shirt all the way off. "Do you think you could take a shower?"

"I'm tired."

"I know. Alright, maybe that can wait until tomorrow, but you're injured." There was an odd combination of worry mingled with rage coming down the bond as Yami took hold of his hand and examined the burned skin on his arm. "Seto is going to bring one of his doctors up to look at you and make sure that you're alright. I don't think you should wait until tomorrow."

He stiffened slightly, a little more awake now, not liking the thought of a doctor's visit no matter how much his body ached. It wasn't like he was scared of them or anything ridiculous like that but he'd never gotten along well with doctors. They tended to find a lot of things wrong with him, things not limited to his somewhat stunted height and weight. "I'm fine, Yami. It looks worse than it is, I swear." A lie, and judging by the wry look Yami sent him, he knew it. Both of Yuugi's arms regularly pulsed with pain, especially when he forgot himself and moved without thinking, and his muscles still ached with a dull throb he couldn't get rid of.

"Aibou, it would make me feel better if we knew for sure," the taller boy said gently, sitting down next to Yuugi with a sigh. His face was pale behind his tan and Yuugi frowned at him.

"Only if you get checked out as well," he said. From the looks of it, being trapped in the puzzle hadn't done Yami any favours. Yuugi was pretty sure his partner had lost some weight, and he looked tired and haggard in the dim light of the room. He saw Yami start to frown and lurched forward, looking at him pleadingly. "Please, Yami. I need to know that you're okay." In spite of his best efforts, his voice broke ever so slightly. He would never forget the sight of Yami staring down at him with no recognition in his eyes whatsoever. That would haunt him until the day he died. "Please?"

"Alright, little one, alright." Yami reached out and pulled him into a hug. "Shh, it's okay."

"I'm fine," Yuugi mumbled, leaning into the hug anyway. He took a deep breath and asked the question that had been burning at his mind since they walked through the door. "Yami... do you think he'll come after us?"

"I don't know." Yami sounded troubled. "I wish I could tell you. Hafiz doesn't seem like the type to give up, but then I never would have pegged him for a coward that would run away, either. But if he does come back, he won't get near you or any of the others, Yuugi, I promise you that." He brushed a hand through Yuugi's hair. "He'll never get near you again."

Even though he knew that it might well be impossible for Yami to make that promise, Yuugi felt comforted anyway. He sighed, feeling exhaustion beginning to creep up on him again, but before he could fall asleep there was a knock on the door and Yami pulled away to go answer. It was a tall young man dressed in white - the doctor. Yuugi regarded him suspiciously as he began his examination, and he was relieved when the doctor didn't offer any comments or ask any questions about where, how or why he had received his injuries. He spent a fair amount of time examining Yuugi's burned arm, and then covered the worst of the burns in a soothing ointment and gauze before moving on.

"You'll be fine with some rest, Mutou-san," he said when he was finished wrapping Yuugi's other wrist in more gauze. He'd briefly inspected the bruise on Yuugi's temple and the other, less vital bruises and scratches on his body. "Just try to take it easy. Nothing too strenuous for a while, and I suggest you try to avoid moving your wrist or your arm too much if you can. I'm going to leave a prescription for some antibiotics downstairs and I'd like you to take one a day for as long as they last. I don't like the look of your arm. If you're in pain, I advise you take ibuprofen or aspirin. Seto-sama can call me if you need something stronger."

"Alright," Yuugi said, because really he was getting off lighter than he'd expected, though he supposed that the doctor couldn't do much for bruising, of which he had plenty. As the doctor began to examine Yami, he hopped off of the bed and went into the bathroom. He left the door open a crack and began the little bit of washing up he had the energy for, listening with half an ear for the results. It didn't take as long as Yuugi's examination had.

"You're not too badly off," the doctor said after only a minute or two. "I don't see any serious, but after what you've been through, I'd advise you to rest as much as possible as well. You're dehydrated and a little malnourished, plus you're sleep deprived. Nothing rest and a few steady meals won't fix."

"Thank you," Yami replied. "I appreciate it, Sensei."

"Not a problem, Yami-sama. You know where I am if you need me."

"I do, thank you."

Hearing the door close told Yuugi that it was safe to come out. He walked over to the bed and climbed in as Yami went into the bathroom and shut the door. The sheets were soft and cool against his tired body and he sighed softly as he slumped backwards, curling gratefully into the pillows. For as long as he'd been on the island, he had wanted to be here, safe with Yami nearby. He fingered the puzzle and decided against taking it off – quite honestly, that was another reason he was reluctant to take a shower, as he never wanted to take it off again – and instead laid back with it still around his neck, the weight comforting after days of not having it around. He was half asleep by the time Yami came out of the bathroom.

"You didn't feel like taking a shower?" he mumbled sleepily, only half awake.

"Not when I knew you were waiting for me," Yami answered softly, pulling the covers back and crawling in beside him. He pulled Yuugi into his arms and the Millennium Puzzle fell between them, cradled by their bodies. It should have been uncomfortable considering that the puzzle had sharp edges, but somehow, it wasn't.

Yuugi closed his eyes and rested his head on Yami's chest, thinking about how fast everything had happened. It was hard to believe that less than a month ago he'd still been trying to solve the Puzzle, still been wondering what would happen when he did. If he knew then what he knew now... well. He cuddled a bit closer and sighed when Yami's arms tightened. In spite of everything they had been through, it almost felt worth it, now that he was finally here with Yami. He was through trying to fight against what existed between them. Yami wanted to be with him for the time being and as far as Yuugi was concerned, that was enough.

**GMA**

Ryou wasn't all that hungry until he sat down and saw that one of the desserts included his favourite. He picked up a cream puff that was liberally coated with a deep fudgy frosting and popped it into his mouth, savouring the sweet taste. The cream inside was real and combined with the chocolate it was heavenly. Chewing slowly, he piled a few more onto a plate and then, when no one was looking, disappeared upstairs. It wasn't all that hard to pick out which room was Bakura's and he went in, taking a seat on the bed.

The room was dark, the walls painted a deep blue, but he liked it. Soothing, especially for someone who had no interest in being around other people. He licked his fingers clean, too tired to care about manners, and laid down. Amane had disappeared at some point between leaving the castle and getting onto the helicopters. Ryou wasn't sure how he felt about that. He stared up through the darkness at where he knew the ceiling was, too unsettled to sleep. His head was throbbing faintly and he thought he'd heard Seto saying something about a doctor as he left, but being poked and prodded was the last thing he wanted. He wanted to go to sleep, wanted to let the sweet oblivion carry him away into nothing, but every time he closed his eyes he was presented with the vision of his father's body. He shuddered and rolled over restlessly, burying his nose in the pillows.

It smelled like Bakura. It was comforting. He closed his eyes again and drifted, caught between sleep and being awake. At some point he heard the door open and close and then there was a weight on the bed beside him. Bakura stretched out, and although he must have known that Ryou was there, he didn't seem to care. Silence fell and Ryou heaved a quiet sight. He could still taste the cream puffs when he swiped his tongue across his teeth. They'd been Amane's favourites, too. He squirmed again and heard Bakura groan.

"For fuck's sake, would you go to sleep?" the older boy hissed, sitting up and looking down at him. Or at least, Ryou thought he was. The room was so dark that Bakura could have been dancing around and he wouldn't have been able to see it, but he doubted that was the case.

"Sorry," he said, not sounding entirely apologetic. "I want to sleep, but I can't. I keep thinking about my sister and seeing my father." He bit his lip hard, chewing on the soft flesh nervously. Bakura didn't like emotions, he knew that much, and he suspected that he would be given a hard time for being unable to let this go.

Sure enough, Bakura sighed loudly and dropped back down onto the bed, propping himself up on his arm. "Your father is dead," he said bluntly. "That's not going to change. Staying awake all night won't bring him back." It didn't escape Ryou's notice he deliberately avoided mentioning Amane.

"I know that." Ryou rolled his eyes. His stomach had tightened and he sucked in a cold breath. Yuugi and Malik seemed to think that Ryou was so busy being relieved that Amane was back that he hadn't noticed she was a bit different. That wasn't true. Sometimes she was so much the same person that he remembered that it hurt, but then at other times she was a complete stranger, and that was unnerving. Was she really his sister or was she a stranger with his sister's face? Or something in between? He sighed, realizing that it might be good to let the matter drop. If not even Bakura wanted to talk about it, then maybe it was best left for later. He said, "You must be happy."

"Oh and why would that be?"

"Mai's back. Well, not back here, but safe. You know she's alive. That was upsetting you before." Was there a slight trace of bitterness combined with envy in his tone? He hoped not. He really did want to let the subject of Amane drop, but that was easier said than done, apparently.

There was a very long, thoughtful silence and then Bakura's hand was cupping his cheek. Ryou willingly let himself be drawn up into a kiss that felt intense enough to set his very soul on fire. He gasped low in his throat when Bakura moved closer, sliding his leg over Ryou and straddling the smaller boy. "Listen to me, Rabbit," Bakura said into his ear, voice low and husky. "Mai is my cousin by blood and I have learned that family means very little in the long run."

"You're not fooling me," Ryou muttered, shivering as Bakura's breath washed over his ear. "You were upset enough to threaten Bandit Keith on the boat. You were upset enough to tell me about it." He peered into where he thought Bakura's eyes would be and smirked. "Between me and Mai and how you reacted when Yami was gone, I know you have a soft spot somewhere deep inside."

"You'd best rid yourself of these ridiculous notions now." Surprisingly, Bakura sounded more amused than annoyed.

"Then stop proving me right." It was spoken through a hastily muffled yawn. Bakura's presence on top of him was soothing in a way that he hadn't been expecting. His weight served to tie Ryou to the present even when he closed his eyes. He was very aware that he was in a bed with Bakura. For the first time, there were no images of his dead father or Amane flashing in front of him and he could feel his body starting to relax as the looming exhaustion began to take over.

"Are you finally falling asleep?"

"No."

"Liar." Bakura started to move off of him and Ryou whined, grabbing at his shirt.

"Please don't," he pleaded. "When you're there, I… I know you're here."

Bakura sighed again. "I really have no desire to crush you underneath me, Rabbit. If you're going to give me power, you need to be alive." He paused and then, in a smooth motion that made Ryou yelp, he rolled their bodies, pulling Ryou along for the ride. The end result was that Bakura was flat on his back and Ryou was now the one laying on top of him.

It was… surprisingly comfortable. Bakura was a few inches taller than he was, meaning Ryou was at just the right height to push his face against the pillow over Bakura's left shoulder. Bakura's arms were loosely encircling his waist, keeping him in place. Ryou thought he could feel something hard pressing against his left hip, and he knew Bakura well enough to know that it was the hilt of a knife. Even that was good: he liked knowing that if someone came in, Bakura was equipped to protect them. All in all, he'd slept in worse places. He adjusted his left knee a bit and then sighed, melting fully into Bakura.

"Thanks," he mumbled.

"Stop thinking about things and _go to sleep_. You're useless to me as you are," Bakura muttered. Ryou just smiled a little and closed his eyes. Sleep rose up to meet him swiftly, and this time, he didn't have any dreams.

* * *

Please review!


	45. Chapter 45

**A/N:** So I was having a little trouble writing this chapter and I wasn't really sure why. But as I got closer to the end, it hit me. It's because this _is_ the end. I wish I could've given you more advance warning. It snuck up on me. I kind of glanced around and went, "hang on, really? You're sure? This is it?" Please see the end of the chapter for more notes, and enjoy!

* * *

It had been a mistake to go to upstairs instead of waiting for Honda to finish his meal. Otogi knew that even as he lay down on the bed and closed his eyes, but he couldn't stop himself. His body was begging for sleep, craving the opportunity to let the horrors of the past few days get swept away so that he wouldn't have to_ think_ about it anymore, and he was dying to take advantage. He slept, oh yes he did, but with the darkness of sleep came the dreams. Nightmares, really, as nothing about what woke him out of a dead sleep could ever be termed dreams. Twice, he woke up gasping, sweat sliding down his cheeks, hands pushing at invisible terrors, but he was so exhausted that he fell back asleep as soon as his heart had stopped pounding.

The nightmares were all composed of the same memories and fears about what might have been. Hafiz leaning over him, hands pinning down his wrists, hot breath sweeping over his cheek while he thrashed and protested and cried. Laughter coming out of the shadows, as cold and cruel as the hands that drifted lazily over his body. Fingers exploring territory that previously only a lover had touched, provoking squeaks and stuttered protests that never fully vocalized, and he thrashed, crying out. His breath lodged in his throat, Otogi came awake for a third time, choking on the alarmed sound that wanted to escape. He sat up and looked around desperately.

The room was quiet. Nothing was stirring. Everything looked exactly the way it had when he'd gone to sleep – he checked the clock beside him – less than two hours ago. Honda hadn't come to bed yet; the space beside him was noticeably empty and hadn't been touched. He was probably still downstairs eating with Jou. Otogi touched the space beside him and debated going to get him. Honda would come if he knew, there was no doubt in his mind about that. If he had even the slightest inkling that Otogi was suffering from nightmares, he'd be up the stairs so fact that he'd run the risk of tripping and breaking his neck. It was just the way he was. But... Otogi closed his eyes and forced himself to lie back down.

He'd been taught from a young age that depending on anyone else wasn't a good idea. He was meant to stand alone. Becoming a guardian hadn't changed that, but falling in love with Honda had. It had been confusing. For all that he knew a great deal about sex and confidence and how to attract people, actually being in a relationship was something new. Honda had been patient, had accepted Otogi with everything that he was, but sometimes... He opened his eyes and looked up at the ceiling, which seemed altogether far away and too close at the same time, as much of a contradiction as that was.

God, if it wasn't for Hafiz and his stupid dungeon, he wouldn't be having this problem! He absently rubbed at the marks that had been left on his wrists and sighed. It hurt to touch the raw wounds, but the pain felt good and was helping to cement him to the present. He'd been foolish to get caught, he knew that now. Whatever duel monster it was had drawn him easily into its spell until he'd become a willing puppet. Was it worse that he couldn't remember exactly what had happened, or better? He took a deep breath and touched his cheek, recalling the slide of cold fingers. A shudder worked its way up his body.

"Ryuuji?"

The warm voice slipped out of the darkness and coiled around him. Otogi sat up quickly and blinked at the door of the room, where his lover was standing. "Yes?"

"Are you alright?" Honda came close enough to the bed for Otogi to see that he was frowning. His hair was damp, indicating that he'd showered already, and he was wearing a towel around his hips but nothing else. He sat down and reached out for Otogi. "I thought I heard you crying out over the sound of the water."

"I'm fine," Otogi muttered, though he didn't push Honda away. He allowed himself to be gathered into Honda's arms and leaned his head against the broad shoulder, savouring the warmth rolling off of the tanned skin. It felt so good to be held.

"Were you sleeping?" Honda shifted, pulling the towel out from under him, and then pulled Otogi down with him so that they were both lying down on the bed.

"I'll sleep better now," he mumbled in reply. "Thank you."

Honda chuckled and a kiss was pressed to the top of his head. "You never have to thank me for sleeping with you, love. The pleasure is all mine."

**GMA**

This was becoming a habit. Jou looked at their bed, the bed that was supposed to be a safe haven for him and Seto, and tried to keep his mouth from twitching. Shizuka blinked back at him, big eyes all rounded with innocence. She was already dressed in her pink pyjamas, having been given a clean bill of health by the doctor after a few of her worse scratches had been bandaged, and was ready to go to bed. In _their_ bed, apparently. He shook his head slightly and pulled his shirt off, tossing it towards the other side of the room and not bothering to watch to see where it landed. Seto hated it when he left things lying around but he couldn't bring himself to care at the moment.

"Should I be expected Mokuba too?" he asked wryly.

Shizuka considered the question and brushed a few strands of her auburn hair over her shoulder before responding. "Yeah, probably."

"Right." There was no point in arguing and really, it was just as well she – well, the both of them – wanted to sleep in their room. After what they'd been through, he was keenly aware of how close he'd come to losing her several times. At least if she was in the bed he'd know where she was. He grabbed a fresh pair of pyjama bottoms - Seto's, by the looks of them - and headed over to the bathroom. "I'm taking a shower. Don't wait up for me."

"Kay." Shizuka flopped over backwards and drew the sheets up around her shoulders. Jou shook his head and entered the bathroom with a fond smile lingering on his lips. It was late, and he knew that they were the last ones to go to bed. Seto would no doubt be prowling around the house, unable to settle down even though Yami was now home. It wouldn't sit quite right with his lover, the fact that Hafiz had walked away without any repercussions. That would annoy Seto for months.

He turned the water on and climbed in, heaving a groan of satisfaction as the heated liquid struck his shoulders and back, soothing a variety of bone-deep aches. It felt damn good to just stand there. He washed languidly, more concerned with making sure that every inch of him had the opportunity to be massaged by the steaming water. By the time he was ready to get out, he was tired but relaxed. He dressed in the pants (definitely Seto's, considering that he had to roll them up a little to avoid tripping over the ends) and opened the door. Mokuba was in the bed as well, he noticed as he padded across the room, and both he and Shizuka were sound asleep. But as he had expected, there was no sign of Seto.

His lover was bent over the kitchen table, the remains of the meal they'd consumed still spread around him. No doubt his staff was waiting in the shadows for Seto to go to bed so they could clean up. He smiled a little and moved over until he could wrap his arms around Seto's shoulders. "I know you've done as much as you can tonight," he murmured softly, deliberately brushing his lips against pale skin. "You've put the word out amongst all of your best personnel and they'll be searching as soon as dawn breaks. In the meantime, I think it's time that you came to bed."

Seto sighed and looked up. There were dark shadows beneath his eyes, just visible in the light the laptop was producing. "I was trying to catch up on some things for Kaiba Corp," he admitted.

"That can wait, Seto. Your company isn't so instable that it will fall apart without you." Jou stepped around and sat down smoothly in Seto's lap. Sometimes it was the only way to force him to ignore the computer. "I mean it. Mokuba and Shizuka and I are all waiting for you. All of that stuff - " he indicated the laptop behind him with a wave of his hand " - will still be here tomorrow morning."

A slow smile spread across Seto's face, making him look years younger. "If all of my men could argue as well as you do, my company wouldn't be in half the trouble it's in," he said, placing a gentle kiss on Jou's lips.

Jou chuckled. "If your men argued the way I do, I'd have to start worrying about whether or not you were cheating on me!" He grinned with genuine amusement. If there was one thing he knew Kaiba Seto would never do, it was betray the people he loved like that. "Come on, Seto. Everyone you care about is safe and sound under one roof. And so is everyone they care about. I know you've already been up there at least two or three times to check on the yamis and hikaris and we're all fine. Please come to bed with me. You're exhausted and you won't help anyone by doing this to yourself."

"Alright, pup, you win." Seto reached around Jou and began issuing the commands to save what he had been working on. As the laptop began to power itself down, Jou stood up and then helped Seto his feet. Seto grimaced, rubbing his lower back with one of his hands. "I really must buy another table set. These chairs are so uncomfortable."

"Anything is uncomfortable if you spend hours at a time in it!" said Jou, taking Seto's hand and gently tugging him along before Seto could change his mind. The two of them walked up the stairs, comfortable in the deep darkness, and down the hall. True to Jou's word, the house was completely silent and the only light came from their bedroom. As Jou approached the door, he glanced inside and saw that Shizuka and Mokuba were curled up together in the middle of the bed. The light was coming from Mokuba's Blue Eyes White Dragon nightlight, which had been plugged into the wall.

"You get into bed. I'll be right there," Seto said. He walked over to the bathroom and went inside as Jou moved to the bed. Normally he would've gotten in beside Mokuba and left the children between them, but tonight he needed to feel Seto's warmth beside him. He climbed in beside Shizuka instead, sighing as his head hit the pillow. It felt so good that he wasn't awake long enough to feel Seto get in beside him.

**GMA**

The mansion was quiet when Yuugi got out of bed the next morning. He left Yami sleeping, curled up in the bed underneath the covers, and took a shower. It was hard, considering that several places on his body bore bandages, but it was worth it to rinse away every last trace of Hafiz Ishtar and Illusion Island. He stole some clothing from Yami - boxers, a pair of pants that he had to roll up, and a shirt that was a little too long - and padded, bare foot, down the stairs, cell phone in hand. He stared lazily out the window as it rang.

"Domino Hospital."

"Hi, this is Mutou Yuugi. I was wondering if I could get an update on my grandfather, Mutou Sugoroku." Yuugi said. It had been on his mind all night. He listened to the faint tapping of keys, his stomach churning.

"Mutou Sugoroku was discharged yesterday with a clean bill of health."

"Really?" His eyes widened. "Thank you." Relief poured through him as he hung up the phone and he leaned his head against the window, taking a slow breath. It was tempting to call his grandfather right away, but it was still early and Sugoroku would likely be sleeping. He'd need all the rest he could get. Yuugi sighed and put his phone back in his pocket before wandering towards the kitchen. His stomach was letting him know that his numerous missed meals over the past few days had not been appreciated in any way.

It was the delicious smell of coffee that led him to the kitchen, where he found Isis sitting at the table, sipping from a cup and perusing the newspaper. The remains of her breakfast, an empty plate covered with crumbs and the rind of an orange peel, were still sitting in front of her. She glanced up at him and gave a weary smile in greeting. "Good morning, Yuugi. Did you sleep well last night?"

"About as well as can be expected," Yuugi replied, taking the seat next to her. One of the maids appeared next to him like magic and set a cup of coffee, a glass of milk, and a glass of juice down in front of him before retreating. Even though Yuugi didn't usually drink coffee, he decided that an exception could be made. He added generous amounts of milk and sugar as he looked up at Isis, noticing that she clearly hadn't had the luxury of a good night's sleep like he had. Her face was pale and dark, and puffy circles were evident under her eyes. "I think that having Yami next to me did a good job of keeping any nightmares away. What about you?"

"Oh, I've had better nights," Isis said with a thin, weary smile, setting her empty cup down. She waved off the maid who tried to approach with a fresh mug and folded the paper.

"Did you have a vision?" He glanced at the Millennium Tawk around her neck. He vaguely remembered hearing someone, possibly Bakura, talking about what the different items could do. At least it explained why Isis had always seemed to be a step ahead of everyone else in the past.

"No, nothing like that." Her fingers toyed absently with the necklace, rubbing against the symbol of Ra. "Or at least, I hope not. I have no desire to see most of my dreams become a reality, let's put it that way."

Yuugi grimaced slightly as he took a gulp of his tea. "Where do you think he went, Isis-nee-san?" he asked.

She turned her head and looked at him for a moment before she sighed, her shoulders slumping. "I don't know, Yuugi," she murmured, leaning forward and smoothing his bangs off of his forehead. It was an unconscious gesture and Yuugi allowed it only because he could tell it soothed her as much as it comforted him. "If I knew, I wouldn't hesitate to tell Seto so that he could be tracked down and brought to justice. It makes me apprehensive to know that he's still out there."

"You don't think he'll come back?"

"I can't be sure." Isis fell silent as the maid returned for a third time, this holding a plate that was heaped high with pancakes, bacon and eggs. She set it down in front of Yuugi with a silent bow and then moved away. Isis continued, "If there is one thing I know about my father, it's that he does not take being defeated lightly. And he will take what happened on Illusion Island as a defeat. Until he is caught, we will all have to exercise caution in what we do, especially the six of you."

That wasn't really what he wanted to hear. Yuugi began eating, his mind mulling over what Isis had said to him. "Do you know where he will go?"

"I can guess," she answered. "I believe there's a chance he may head for Egypt."

"Egypt?" Yuugi found that hard to believe. "Why Egypt? I thought Malik said you guys never wanted to go back there."

"_I _don't, and neither does my brother for obvious reasons. But Hafiz was always bitter about being cast out of our clan. I believe that some part of him has always wanted to get revenge for what he sees as a grave injustice. It wouldn't surprise me if he chose to do so now. Our clan's job was to protect the Pharaoh." Her face grew troubled. "Part of that meant keeping the Millennium Items and their secrets safe. But that was not our only task. There are many things in their possession that could cause a great deal of trouble if Hafiz managed to get his hands on them. I may have to travel to Egypt to see if I can get into contact with the clan. They deserved to be warned."

"Will Malik go with you?"

"Probably not. He was very young when we were kicked out. I don't expect he remembers much of that life and I would like to keep it that way if at all possible. Besides, they may be more amenable to me since I'm a woman." Isis touched the Millennium Tawk again and the true implication behind her reasoning was evident: her clan would be more accepting because of her item, not because of her gender. For whatever reason, she didn't want them knowing that Malik had an item as well, hence her reluctance to take Malik along.

"That's alright. If you did, Mariku would have to come, and that would be a fight waiting to happen," Yuugi said with a grin. He'd seen the way Mariku and Isis looked at each other sometimes. Like two dogs fighting over a bone. Malik would be better off not getting in between the two of them even if it meant Isis going by herself. "You should take another guardian with you, though. It won't be safe."

She smiled, but before she could say anything, the sound of loud voices cut her off. Both of them looked up as an older woman stalked into the room. Her voice was grating and echoed through the kitchen above the banging of the pots and pans. "I want to see my son, I told you. Where is he? I know that he's here."

"Tenno-sama, please." The maid skittered into the room after the woman, followed by a man who was dressed in a suit. "I told you, your son is indisposed right now."

Yuugi didn't have to ask Isis who these people were. It was evident by just one glance. The woman was short and slender, yet she carried herself with the kind of confidence of someone who knew that their every word would be obeyed, no questions asked. She had golden blonde hair tied up into a bun with a few strands hanging around her face, high-lighting a pair of cold blue eyes. She was wearing a black suit jacket with a crisp white shirt over a grey-striped skirt with black heels. Though she was not classically beautiful, her full lips, thin nose and high cheekbones gave her a striking look.

The man was a bit taller than his wife, with deep chocolate brown eyes. He had dark hair that was short and neat, recently trimmed. His skin was noticeably darker than his wife's, tanned, like he spent more time in the sun, and he was wearing a dark grey suit that showed both his tan and his body off to the best of his ability. He wore an exasperated look and kept glancing at his watch. Even though the coloring was all wrong, he looked a great deal like Yami, and Yuugi knew that these had to be Yami's parents.

"Hello, Tenno-san," Isis said calmly, rising from the table. The woman twitched and swung around to look at them, having apparently not realized that there were other people in the room.

"Oh, Ishtar-san," she said. "I didn't see you there. Good morning. I'm looking for my son."

"I gathered. I believe he's resting."

"This late?" said the man, raising an eyebrow. "It's nearly seven!"

"He was tired," Yuugi said, unable to keep quiet at this perceived slight against Yami. Quite frankly, he was amazed that he and Isis were up so early after the past few days. It wouldn't surprise him if Yami and the others slept until the early evening hours. He was contemplating a return to bed himself.

"And you are…?" Her voice trailed off and her mouth dropped open when she got a good look at him. "By Ra, it's _you_," she breathed. Swaying lightly back and forth, she made a grab for her husband's arm. "Daichi! It's the pharaoh's light!"

Something about the way she said that made Yuugi a little nervous, especially when she took several steps closer to him and gripped his shoulders, pulling him forward and preventing him from moving back. "It's an honour to meet you. My name is Tenno Akemi, but you can call me Akemi," she said fervently, her blue eyes glittering. "By the stars, you even have the Millennium Puzzle! And you've solved it! My gracious, you look just like a more innocent version of Atemu. How _cute_."

Her nails were digging into his shoulders and it was starting to hurt. Yuugi tried not to squirm. Isis signalled to the maid and then stepped up beside them. "This is Mutou Yuugi," she said, gently but firmly detaching Akemi's hands. "As you guessed, he is the wielder of the Millennium Puzzle."

"So this is where Atemu has been." Akemi looked delighted. "Would that he had told us sooner. We have _so much_ to discuss, little one."

Yuugi stiffened and his violet eyes flashed. "Don't call me that."

Akemi looked surprised by his vehemence. Before she could say anything, though, the door to the kitchen swung open and Yami barrelled inside. His eyes assessed the situation and within moments, he was across the room and planting himself squarely between Yuugi and his mother. Yuugi stumbled back a step, but was steadied when Yami's arm shot out and slipped around his waist, bringing him securely against Yami's side as Yami glared at his parents.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded in a low voice.

"No need to get all wound up," Daichi said soothingly. He placed a hand on his wife's shoulder, and then, with his other hand, he held out a box. "This came for you. It was waiting on the front porch when I woke up this morning at five."

The subtle dig was lost as Yami frowned and took the box. It had been wrapped in plain, non-descript paper and had his real name written across the top in fat, messy black lettering. He exchanged a concerned look with Yuugi as he stepped over to the table and placed it down. Isis silently fetched him a knife, which he used to slit the paper, revealing a cardboard box with no distinguishing features. He poked it cautiously, and then shook it. Nothing happened. Finally, he cut the tape and opened the top. Whatever he saw inside made him go very still indeed. Yuugi exchanged a worried look with Isis and then stepped forward.

"Yami, what is it?" he asked, looking up at his darkness. When Yami didn't respond, he glanced down into the box.

There were four things inside.

A vial of sand.

Maiden of the Moonlight's duel monster card, ripped neatly in half.

One strand of silky white hair, dotted with blood.

And a note.

THIS IS NOT OVER, PHARAOH.

The End!

* * *

So, first of all I'd like to thank everyone who stuck with me through this story, including those who have been here from the beginning and those who joined me along the way. This was my first Yu-Gi-Oh story and I was initially apprehensive about posting it, but the response has been phenomenal, far beyond anything that I could have expected. Believe me when I say that this story has taken me places I never expected to go, and that I have new appreciation for authors with a cast of characters above five or six... it's a hell of a lot harder than it looks!

In regards to the sequel, there_ will_ be one coming. I need to read the rest of the Yu-Gi-Oh manga before I can get too far into it, mostly for certain details since I never got that far into the anime. I'm relatively certain I can find them online so it's more an issue of time than anything else. Still, I hope to have the sequel posted within a couple of weeks or so. I'll post an alert onto this story when it's posted so that everyone who has it on story alerts will know.

If you can't wait that long, please check out my other Yu-Gi-Oh fics and one-shots, including the new YGO story I posted today. Thanks again!


	46. Sequel Alert

This is just an update to anyone who has Give Myself Away on Story Alerts.

The sequel, Shine To Guide You, has now been posted.

Thanks again for reading!


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